Chicago Bears land crucial defensive reinforcements in early 2026 mock draft

The Chicago Bears are focused on showing massive improvement under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. But if the franchise continues their longstanding struggles, the 2026 NFL Draft would become an even more crucial event for the Bears.

It’s hard to say exactly what Chicago’s biggest needs will be, especially in 2026. It seemed likely that the Bears would target either an offensive or defensive lineman at the close of the 2024 season. But due to additions in free agency, the team was able to make a luxury pick in tight end Colston Loveland at No. 10.

There are too many intangibles to determine where the Bears will pick in 2026. But in Field Yates of ESPN’s early mock draft, they held the No. 17 overall pick. With it, Chicago lands Tennessee cornerback Jermod McCoy.

“If not for an ACL tear suffered in January, McCoy would be much higher. He has returned to the practice field in some capacity, but it’s unclear when he will be cleared to play in games,” Yates wrote. “He is a terrific perimeter cover corner, though, with ideal speed, length and ball disruption skills for the NFL.”

“McCoy had an incredible debut season at Tennessee in 2024 after spending one year at Oregon State, picking off four passes and breaking up eight more,” he continued. “The Bears need more perimeter corners opposite Jaylon Johnson, so this makes sense.”

Chicago Bears cornerback situation 

Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are locked into the secondary for the foreseeable future. Both have signed recent contract extensions. However, Tyrique Stevenson, who is poised to start next to Johnson, finds himself on the hot seat. He needs a strong 2025 performance to retain his starting role. If he were to struggle, selecting McCoy would only make more sense.

The cornerback began his career at Oregon State, making 31 tackles, seven passes defended and two interceptions. Then, McCoy transferred to Tennessee and set new career-highs in tackles (44), passes defended (nine) and interceptions (4). He was named First-team All-SEC for his efforts.

McCoy is making his way back from ACL surgery, so the Bears and other teams may need to wait before seeing him in action during the 2025 campaign. However, his athletic intangibles are undeniable. If he is able to return to his strong level of play post-injury, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McCoy surge up draft boards come the actual 2026 NFL Draft.

For now, the Bears are focused on winning and establishing Johnson’s culture. But if his plans don’t go as smoothly as expected, the 2026 draft will be a point of discussion in Chicago sooner rather than later.