Chicago Bears land potential defensive star in new 2026 NFL mock draft

As we work our way through the quietest time of the NFL calendar, it’s worth taking a quick spin around the latest 2026 NFL Draft storylines, which are best found in early mock drafts.

Yes, it’s early. It’s really early. But the prospect narratives that begin forming in the summer tend to carry into the start of the college football season. So, yeah, there’s legitimate value in checking out first-round mock drafts to get a sense of who the top players in the 2026 NFL Draft will be.

It’s also a worthwhile exercise to see how the national media views the Chicago Bears’ roster. First-round targets are usually indicative of what draft analysts view as fixes for team weaknesses, which, of course, can change in one day of NFL free agency.

However, the latest 2026 mock draft from Pro Football Sports Network was spot on with the Bears’ first-round pick. In fact, it’s the kind of pick that could maintain momentum all the way through April.

PFSN has Chicago selecting 16th overall — which is a massive improvement from where Bears fans are used to this team picking — and selecting Ohio State safety Caleb Downs.

This view of Caleb Downs’ punt return touchdown pic.twitter.com/KrfXlUd0HU

— Eleven Warriors (@11W) November 23, 2024

Downs is gaining buzz as the top all-around football player in the 2026 draft class, which makes the likelihood that he slides to No. 16 very low. But, remember: he’s a safety, and safeties usually don’t get selected in the first 10 picks. If Downs slides outside the top 10, and Bears GM Ryan Poles is a handful of selections away from landing an identity-changer like Downs, I have no doubt he’d pick up the phone and try to trade up.

“While Caleb Downs may be one of the most talented prospects in the 2026 class, we need to remind ourselves of where top safeties are typically drafted,” PFSN wrote. “After we saw Malaki Starks slide to the back end of the first round, Downs landing with the Chicago Bears at Pick 16 makes the most sense. It would also help him hit the ground running on a playoff-contending team.”

The Bears will be a popular team that’s connected to all of the top safeties in next year’s draft. The status of fan-favorite Jaquan Brisker is very much up in the air. He’ll enter the 2025 season on an expiring contract and has a history of concerning concussions that could scare Poles away from offering Brisker a long-term contract extension.

READ: Caleb Williams reveals goal for 2025 season Bears fans will love

Veteran Kevin Byard II isn’t getting any younger, and his contract expires as the end of the season, too.

As a result, the Chicago Bears are certain to be in the early-round safety market, no matter what they do in veteran free agency. Whether it’s the first-round market for a player like Downs is something we won’t know for a long time, but it’d be worth your time to check out his highlights and keep a close eye on him this season.

He might just be manning the Bears’ secondary in 2026.