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The Draft: Round 1
- Tim Brusveen
- 21 hours ago
- 12 min read
It is the most wonderful time of the year. Time to dream on big, strong men being the missing piece to fulfill all your fantasies. Football wise of course. Time to wonder which punter or unplayable special teamer Ryan Poles burns a mid-round pick on. Time to draft. As was the case last year, this analysis will be Bears focused. When it comes to their needs, they only have a few they absolutely have to address; safety and something on the defensive line. They have lots of room to maneuver as they can pick any position really other than quarterback and it would make some level of sense.
For this exercise I have focused on the first round and the likely positions to be targeted: offensive tackle, edge, interior defensive line, cornerback and safety. Scouting information has been compiled from Lance Zierlein of NFL.com, Dane Brugler of The Athletic and my own film watching (no big deal, sup chicks?). This is the introduction of the Brusveen Big Board! I put all my data into a big ol Excel sheet and put together an overall ranking of the top 301 players in the draft (quarterbacks have been excluded because they don’t really adhere to the same rating systems as other players). The BBB ranking will be next to the player as well as their score from the Combine and that ranking against the other players at their position.
Tackle
The tackle group is really interesting because there isn’t a drop, there is a galactic sized cliff from the top tier of tackles to the next group. Because of that, tackles are going to fly off the board and likely in a way that could be labeled “a reach” from a value perspective. Georgia tackle Monroe Freeling is actually #5 on the BBB but every rumor coming out of draft camps is that his massive upside will have teams lining up long before the Bears at 25. There are likely three tackles who will fall in the Bears’ range, all of whom are varying degrees of projects with the physical tools to evolve into long term starters. Clemson tackle Blake Miller has been left off here because his appeal is as a plug and play mid-level starter which doesn’t seem to mix with what they need in 2026 nor what they would be trying to accomplish by taking a first round tackle. On the other side, if the Bears aren’t interested in a tackle, other teams certainly are and it could open up the possibility of a trade down.
BBB - 15 // Combine Score - 6.45 (2/24)
Proctor is a polarizing prospect in that he is the epitome of the “we’re not selling jeans here” prospect. Meaning that he absolutely looks the part at 6’7” over 350 pounds when you see him. His movement for his size is remarkable, famously catching a few screen passes for Alabama. But when it comes to the technical work of the position, he is a major work in progress. A team like the Bears has the luxury of not needing him to start right away so he could essentially redshirt a year and learn then emerge as a true franchise left tackle in year two… or they could be making the Kiran Amegadjie mistake all over again with significantly higher cost.
BBB - 25 // Combine Score - 6.38 (4/24)
Lomu didn’t allow a sack in 2025 and displaced likely top 10 pick Spencer Fano as the left tackle in 2024 as a redshirt freshman. The name of the game in this year’s tackle class is foundation with upside. Fano slotting in between the other two tackles on this list is on purpose as he is a little bit more pro ready right now and could probably be an Ozzy Trapilo level competent left tackle pretty early, more so than Proctor or Max Iheanachor but the upside is a little bit more capped as “good starter for a long time” rather than “All-Pro level freak people mover.”
Max Iheanachor - Arizona State
BBB - 31 // Combine Score - 6.35 (6/24)
The word of the day with Max is “raw.” Originally from Nigeria, he has a background in soccer and basketball which scouts and teams love because of the advanced footwork required. As far as “redshirt” players, Iheanachor would be the least impactful tackle of the three and likely the least impactful rookie they can take for the 2026 season in general. He has only played football since 2021 which cuts both ways; there is a ton of room to grow into his massive frame and refine his technique but in no world should he be seeing reps against Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons this year. Great movement skills could translate very well to Ben Johnson’s love of getting tackles out in space into the second level to mash people. But patience will be a virtue. He was exclusively a right tackle in college but if the plan would be to sit him an entire year, the transition to the other side can just be part of the process.
Edge
There is nothing Bears fans clamor for more than an added pass rusher. While they might be right to a point, much like free agency, it doesn’t appear that likely that things break their way. The guys worth the big will almost certainly be gone and everyone left has significant holes. If Keldric Faulk is available, run to the podium but if he’s available at 25, there is probably a reason. They may love a guy like TJ Parker or Malachi Lawrence behind the scenes but it would be a bit of a reach by conventional standards. I think Bears fans will be kept waiting.
BBB - 19 // Combine Score - 6.42 (5/36)
The knock will be that he’s 25 years old entering the league so the upside is likely close to capped and he has an injury history but he enters the draft as one of the most impactful players, not just defenders in college football with 17.5 TFLs and 12.5 sacks last year. If he stays healthy, he is about as close to a lock for a quality second contract defensive lineman as you can find. He also will very likely be gone by the time the Bears arrive at the podium.
BBB - 21 // Combine Score - 6.4 (6/36)
It’s hard to know what to believe when Ryan Poles talks to the media but a theme that has come up particularly strongly since Ben Johnson arrived is looking for players who “just love ball.” Some may argue that his early additions of guys like Chase Claypool and Nate Davis would contradict that but a fair read on it could also be he has learned how important it is to bring in guys who truly give a shit. You won’t find many who give more of a shit than Zion Young. Loud, brash and disruptive, Young is a massive tone-setter along a defensive line. The first time I noticed him was watching a Missouri game that went to overtime, during the coin toss, Young was yelling so loud you couldn’t hear the referee doing the toss. He’s a Day 1 contributor against the run and a coach’s dream when it comes to working on his craft and developing his pass rush game. Certainly a guy you wouldn’t bet against when it comes to maximizing his skills. However, he brings off-the-field baggage with a DWI in December 2025 as well as being one of seven Michigan State players charged with aggravated assault following the now infamous brawl with Michigan players after their game in 2022. To be clear, this isn't me not wanting him because "think of the children!" more so to point out that not taking an Uber four months before the Draft when you're about to become a multimillionaire might indicate he's just not very smart. That would be the problem.
BBB - 34 // Combine Score - 6.34 (8/36)
If the goal is to add a competent football player who can help immediately, Lawrence fits the bill. A five year player at UCF he was moderately productive for his last three years finishing 2025 with 11 TFLs and seven and a half sacks. He will be 23 by kickoff in 2026 which some teams look at as limiting his ceiling but there are a lot of tools to be a three down edge pretty quickly. He and TJ Parker will be linked as their profiles are pretty similar but it’s just a matter of whether teams believe in the upside of Parker or the lower ceiling but higher certainty of Lawrence. If it feels like I’m reaching here it is because I am. This would be a pretty uninspired selection.
BBB - 36 // Combine Score - 6.29 (11/36)
One of the stories of this draft is going to be “The Clemson Guys” making some people look very smart and some very dumb. How they do that and who is made to look what is to be determined. Parker and defensive line mate Peter Woods both entered the 2025 college football season as potential top 5 picks with both seen as the premier player at their position. Coming off a whopping 19.5 TFLs, 11 sacks and six forced fumbles as a sophomore in 2024, Parker looked like the next big thing. Unfortunately he was wrapped up in the catastrophe that was Clemson’s season in which he generated nine TFLs and five sacks and lost himself a lot of money in the process. The question for teams around the league is pretty simple: which one of those guys is the guy they’re drafting? There are cases to be made on both sides but ultimately Parker looks to be at the very least a quality three down end who can hold up against the run and doesn’t need to be subbed out on pass downs. The big question mark is, fair or not, the drive. Being given the status as a first rounder and expected impact player comes with lots of expectations and he didn’t exactly thrive when big things were expected of him in 2025. A subpar Combine only made those doubts louder.
Interior Defensive Line
Much like I said during the offseason preview, if you want the actual culprit for the poor defensive metrics last year, it wasn’t the edge play, it was the interior. Whether they want to add pressure or run game bulk, there needs to be some significant upgrade here during the draft.
BBB - 23 // Combine Score - 6.39 (1/29)
If the offseason has been defined by eating your vegetables, this would be a big helping of broccoli. McDonald is not going to be a pass rushing force from the interior, he may not even be a backfield disruptor, a player like McDonald is often valued by the plays he doesn’t make but allows others to. A massive run plugger who can soak up two blocks at a time and free up second level players. Ohio State is going to put three defenders in the Top 10 this year, all three benefited greatly from having McDonald in front of them. That is the selling point for him. If you want to maximize Devin Bush, Coby Bryant and the rest of the back seven, adding McDonald is not flashy but the type of player that good defenses have in the middle. This won’t win any post draft grade competitions but it’s a very mature pick that smart teams make.
BBB - 30 // Combine Score - 6.36 (3/29)
The other guy from the aforementioned “Clemson Guys,” like Parker, his 2024 put him on the map as being a high first round pick before the 2025 season derailed the hype with questions of effort and consistency. At his best, Woods is a lightning quick winner from the interior to get into the backfield and disrupt. At his worst, he’s an undersized tweener (298 at the Combine) who can be moved off the spot if he doesn’t win immediately and appeared to be going through the motions once the Clemson season was lost. While Parker projects as having the floor of a useful three down lineman, Woods’ is lower as a hyper-specialized interior rusher that is very vulnerable to any team that chooses to run at him. Yet, the interior disruption capabilities are undeniable.
Cornerback
Cornerback seems to get brushed over in terms of Bears needs but if the plan is to make any sort of additional impact move after the draft, the cleanest way to make that financial room is to move on from Jaylon Johnson either via trade or release. Given the injury issues last year and need to extend him in the near future, Johnson’s days could be numbered. Elsewhere in the secondary injuries or attrition have hit every level. Kyler Gordon was out most of the year, Nahshon Wright is gone, Terrell Smith just missed an entire season, same with Zah Frazier and Tyrique Stevenson lost his job for long stretches last year and appears to have found himself on the wrong side of another coaching staff.
BBB - 13 // Combine Score - 6.40 (2/32)
McCoy is the wildcard in the entire draft. Depending on what teams believe about his medicals after tearing his ACL and missing the entire 2025 season he could go in the top 10 or could drop into the second round like Will Johnson last year. I tend to think the ladder is more likely. He didn’t run at the Combine but did at his Pro Day even though the expectation was to do both to showcase his recovery. That seems like a red flag. His 2024 season had him poised to be the first corner off the board had he played in 2025, he had four interceptions and 13 pass breakups. He measures close to 6’1 so he hits the height requirement the Bears might have but the risk is really high. Even if he is recovered and with the advances in the recovery process for ACLs, it would be a big leap.
BBB - 24 // Combine Score - 6.39 (3/32)
Terrell would immediately slot in as a starter with tons of upside. The problem is and will always be that he is not very big (5’11 186) and could be bullied despite his coverage ability. He is willing to mix it up inside and the effort isn’t in question but for a team that has brought in two corners since Dennis Allen has been in the fold, Nahshon Wright at 6’4 and Zah Frazier at 6’3, it might be worth wondering if all the competitive spirit in the world isn’t going to be enough to justify this one.
BBB - 27 // Combine Score - 6.38 (4/32)
It’s hard to know with secondary players because so much is predicated on what a staff wants them to do. Hood is physical at the line of scrimmage and sticky in coverage. The knock on him is that he can be inconsistent in identifying the ball in flight which costs him some opportunities for takeaways. But with Al Harris in-house, the Bears could be willing to bet on a guy who loves to tackle and cover already, believing in one of the best takeaway coaches in football to turn Hood into a fully formed monster. The size concern is the same as it was with Terrell though, Hood is just a tick under 6’0 and while we have no idea what these guys actually want and what qualifies as “too small” but the available evidence seems to suggest he might be.
Chris Johnson - San Diego State
BBB - 32 // Combine Score - 6.32 (5/32)
The Colston Loveland pick last year gave some good insight into the draft strategy of this organization. Tight end was a need but not necessarily viewed by the outside world as a pressing one and Loveland was not even viewed as the top tight end to address that need. And yet, with conviction, they saw a player who they loved and jumped at the chance to add him conventional wisdom be damned. If they announce Chris Johnson’s name at 25, it will be for the same reason. Cornerback isn’t seen as a high-level need and the consensus has other corners ahead of him but Johnson is the kind of player that a team will jump the line for. High quality cover corner with a knack for ball production (two pick sixes last year) who measures a little bit more in-line with the perceived size requirement, about six foot and a half, a 4.4 forty at the Combine and one of the youngest players in the draft hints at untapped potential. If there is a “woah” selection at 25, this is my pick.
Safety
Going into a draft with a clear and present starter need changes the calculus on how this draft goes because they have to come out with a safety in the first three rounds. The good news is that this draft is full of safety prospects on Day 2 like AJ Haulcy, Jalen Kilgore, Bud Clark and VJ Payne. They also hosted Miami DB Keionte Scott on a Top 30 visit. The dream is that Oregon safety Dillon Theineman drops to 25 and they take him no problem but it’s much more likely they’ll have to deal with him in Minnesota for the next decade.
BBB - 29 // Combine Score - 6.39 (2/21)
McNeil-Warren has become one of the darlings of the pre-draft process as he checks a lot of boxes, lots of ball production in college, smaller school prospect with perceived untapped upside and major size at 6’3 plus. All of that is great but he ran the 13th fastest 40 yard dash among safeties at the Combine and has been dinged repeatedly for his coverage ability and tendency to try to make the big hit and the splash play which often costs him the actual tackle or pass defense. He also will likely need to be protected in coverage. When you consider the safety they just let go in free agency, Jaquan Brisker, whose profile was very similar, it would be an odd move to use a first rounder on this type of player rather than pay the relatively cheap six million to keep a guy who already knows the system.
