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The college football regular season has come to an end. Bowl season is upon us.
Still, there’s an entire season of work to consider. That’s something the Chicago Bears have been watching all fall.
Here are some names that could be at the top of the Bears’ draft board at the start of the 2026 NFL Draft cycle.
Jeremiyah Love, running back – Notre Dame
If the Bears took a tight end in the top 10 last year in an effort to fit Ben Johnson’s offense, they might look to lock up the future of their running back room with one of the best players in the draft.
Love is a top-five prospect, perhaps even top two. He’s one of the best players in college football and earned a Heisman invite after a season that ended with over 1,600 scrimmage yards and 21 touchdowns. He’d be the lightning in Johnson’s offense that pairs with the thunder they drafted in Kyle Monangai last offseason.
However, considering the Bears’ status as a potential playoff team, they might need to trade up to acquire Love.
Some projections see him as a top-15 pick and with the potential to rise into a top-10 pick, depending on how Love finishes the season. He’s skyrocketed the Heisman Trophy rankings was a finalist.
D’Andre Swift enters the final year of his contract in 2026. He’s had a productive season in year two with the Bears. Love would solidify the Bears’ running back room for years.
Kayden Proctor, offensive tackle – Alabama
The Bears have played three different players at left tackle this season.
First, it was Braxton Jones. Then, it was Theo Benedet. Now, it’s Ozzy Trapilo.
Jones is in the last year of his rookie contract in Chicago. Benedet showed flashes in the running game, and Trapilo has played well against a gauntlet of high-level pass rushers. That’s a lot of movement, and the depth there has served the Bears well. Still, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see the Bears continue to invest in their offensive line.
Proctor is a massive human. He’s one of the highest-graded tackles in the SEC, a Walter Camp All-American offensive lineman and could factor into the future of the left tackle position.
Considering how the Bears value the offensive line, he might be a player that becomes a top target.
Francis Mauigoa, offensive tackle – Miami (FL)
Take everything about Proctor, and ditto it for Mauioga.
A Walter Camp All-American, big and physical tackle, Mauioga is seen as a lock to shore up the left side of a team’s offensive line. The Bears could turn to him.
However, this is a big "if."
The Bears could decide to tackle another need if they deem Trapilo or Benedet the future at left tackle. The final four games of the regular season will go far in determining if the Bears decide to invest in the left tackle position further.
If they do, Mauigoa or Proctor are good choices.
CJ Allen, linebacker – Georgia
This is a player who might be on the Bears’ radar based on some offseason moves.
The Bears can save cap space if they move on from Tremaine Edmunds this offseason. That would be a nuanced discussion since Edmunds is second on the team with four interceptions. But, if they do move on from the linebacker they’ll have options near the top of the draft.
Allen is a player who’s reminiscent of Roquan Smith, depending on who you ask. That would be a boon for Dennis Allen’s defense, which has shown how important it is to have a linebacker with great instincts.
Allen shined in the SEC championship game where he was the heart and soul of a Dawgs’ defense that limited Alabama to minus three (-3) yards rushing. Allen and friends literally send the Tide backwards. That’s the kind of run defender that would fit well in a division that features multiple talented running backs.
David Bailey, edge rusher – Texas Tech
At some point, the Bears are going to spend a high draft pick on a quality pass-rushing prospect. This could be the draft where the Bears take a swing, as there’s a deep pool of pass rushers in this draft class.
Bailey might be the player to earn that pick.
After transferring to Texas Tech from Stanford, Bailey recorded 13.5 sacks and three forced fumbles as a game-changing pass rusher for a College Football Playoff team. The Bears’ pass rush has struggled with consistency in 2025, and Bailey is a player that personifies consistency as a rusher.
With Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson, the Bears might have a glut of defensive ends, but Bailey is the kind of player that could fit into the rotation of pass rushers Dennis Allen likes to utilize during games.
In fact, there are other defensive ends in a class flush with players who the Bears can target. These players are:
- Zion Young, Missouri
- Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (FL)
- T.J. Parker, Clemson
- Cashius Howell, Texas A&M