Chicago Bears Linked to Adding Towering 6-Foot-6 Pass Rusher

The Chicago Bears enter tonight’s 2026 NFL Draft with a chance to take another big step towards winning a Super Bowl.

Last season, the franchise became a legitimate contender in the NFC. After years of mediocrity and depressing seasons, the Bears won the NFC North division title and entered the playoffs as the No. 2 seed in the conference. They pulled off a massive comeback win over the arch-rival Green Bay Packers in the Wild Card round before falling victim to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional Round.

Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson have something special building offensively. On the defensive side of the football, there were clear needs for some help.

One of the main needs entering the 2026 NFL Draft comes on the defensive side of the ball. Chicago needs to find more pass rushing. That could be the Bears’ route with the No. 25 overall pick in the first round.

Chicago Bears Predicted to Land 6-Foot-6 Pass Rusher at No. 25

Windy City Gridiron’s Aaron Leming has revealed his final mock draft for Chicago. He has the Bears taking Auburn defensive end Keldrick Faulk with the No. 25 overall pick.

“This is my own personal nightmare. When I first started the draft process, Faulk was immediately someone I highlighted as a player profile to avoid, similar to last year with Shemar Stewart,” Leming wrote.

“While I do think Faulk has a better chance of succeeding as a complete defensive end than Stewart, I still have some serious concerns about him as a pass rusher. In a perfect world, better options at tackle and cornerback exist, but if Dillon Thieneman and their top left tackle targets are off the board, an edge rusher likely makes the most sense.”

Standing in at 6-foot-6 and 285 pounds, Faulk has had an up-and-down college career. Last season with the Tigers, he racked up 29 tackles, two sacks, and four defended passes.

Throughout his entire three-year college career at Auburn, Faulk totaled 110 tackles, 10 sacks, a forced fumble, and six defended passes.

Faulk is far from a sure thing. There are reasons to be concerned that he might end up being a bust who doesn’t make much of an impact on the pass rush. However, it’s also possible that Chicago’s coaching staff could help him reach his ceiling.

All of that being said, it will be interesting to see what the Bears choose to do at pick No. 25. Faulk is a name worth keeping an eye on tonight.

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