With the NFL draft less than a month away, questions about what the Chicago Bears might do with the No. 10 pick are flying around. Brad Biggs tackles those questions — and many other topics — in his latest Bears mailbag.
Is there any talk of possibly trading up for Abdul Carter? Maybe swapping first-round picks and trading one of the seconds? — @gomergup
I was a little surprised to get a handful of questions this week about trading up for Carter, the All-American defensive end from Penn State. That seems unrealistic for a number of reasons. For starters, Carter would probably really have to slide for the Bears to have a shot at getting him for the No. 10 pick and one of their second-round picks. They might only be able to get up to No. 5 with just one of their second-round picks (Nos. 39 or 41) as teams put a premium on high selections.
Just for the sake of conversation here, why would Carter move down draft boards? Teams learned at last month’s NFL combine that he has a stress reaction in his right foot. The hope is it’s a non-issue for Carter moving forward, but if it is an issue, the Bears would have to feel secure about his health to pull the trigger on a move like this if other teams are shying away from him. Again, this is a complete hypothetical, but you have to ask yourself, “In what scenario would the best pass rusher in a draft that is weak for quarterbacks slide out of the top three or four picks?”
General manager Ryan Poles has not traded up in the first round yet, although we’re still working with a relatively small sample size. The Bears need to keep their draft capital and would be better off taking advantage of the situation they are currently in with three of the top 41 picks. That’s three chances to land players who can really contribute in a draft that some believe has pretty good depth when you get into the back half of Round 1 and Round 2.
Carter, the Big Ten defensive player of the year, had 24 tackles for loss last season, 66 quarterback pressures and 12 sacks. He should be good in the NFL right away. He took to social media Monday to push back on the idea that Miami quarterback Cam Ward would be the first player chosen.
“Don’t let all this QB need talk fool yall. It’s already known who’s the Best, and no QB is in that discussion! like I said, the Best PLAYER goes number 1. Generational, remember.”
The Bears need more difference makers and more depth, and they’re in a fortuitous position. My hunch is Carter is gone in the first three picks, and if he makes it past No. 4, there’s probably concern from multiple clubs about his foot issue. A trade into the top three to select Carter would be much costlier than the No. 10 and a second-round pick.
The draft philosophy shouldn’t be for immediate needs, and Ryan Poles has made this clear. With that in mind, what are positional needs in two to four years that the front office should focus on? — @dersour
Rosters turn over faster in the NFL than you probably think, and that process is expedited when a new coaching staff takes over. It will be interesting to see how many players who finished here last season will be with the club in Week 1 of the 2026 season. That number will probably hover somewhere in the neighborhood of 20. In that respect, three or four years from now, pretty much every position could be a “need,” right? The Bears are sure hoping Caleb Williams solidifies them at quarterback for a decade. They have other young players with bright futures, but it’s difficult to project too much when coaches haven’t even worked with players yet.
I understand what you’re getting at, and I would say if the Bears don’t add to the offensive and defensive lines, they’re going to be in a familiar position entering next offseason in needing young talent to build with in the trenches. What they have to do is identify their needs, stack their draft board (a process that is at least a few weeks away from being completed) and then see what it looks like. Are there players at those positions of need with grades that make them sensible picks?
What’s your take on the cornerback group? Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are locks, but what about the remaining options? Will Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith compete or will the Bears bring someone else in through free agency or even the draft? — @kybearsfan19
Cornerback isn’t a position I would rule out for a high draft pick. If there is a highly graded option at No. 10, and Michigan’s Will Johnson and Texas’ Jahdae Barron could be on the board, it’s at least worth a discussion because there’s no such thing as having too much talent or depth at cornerback. The Bears would need to have a significantly higher grade on a cornerback to pass on some other positions. The hope is that defensive backs coach Al Harris is a really strong mentor for Stevenson and the Bears can unlock more consistency in his game. Right now, I think it’s a competition between Stevenson and Smith for the job, but the Bears will need to add some more depth.
What are the chances that the Bears go safety or tight end at No. 10? — @ethanleo76
Picks in the top 10 are rarely used on safeties. Jamal Adams was selected No. 6 overall by the New York Jets in 2017, and prior to that, Mark Barron, the No. 7 pick in 2007 by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, was the last one to go in that range. Including Adams, only five safeties have been chosen in the top half of Round 1 over the last decade: Kyle Hamilton (No. 14 in 2022 to Baltimore), Minkah Fitzpatrick (No. 11, 2018, Miami), Malik Hooker (No. 15, 2017, Indianapolis) and Karl Joseph (No. 14, 2016, Oakland). South Carolina’s Nick Emmanwori and Georgia’s Malaki Starks look like they could be first-round choices this year, but I am of the mindset that 10 is too rich for a safety unless he’s absolutely special. I’m not sure either one of those players fits that mold, although safety can be viewed as a position of need for the Bears.
NFL mock draft 1.0: Who will the Chicago Bears select with the No. 10 pick?
As far as tight ends, Penn State’s Tyler Warren is a tremendous prospect and could certainly be chosen in the top 10. If not, he probably will not remain on the draft board very long. I’d imagine the Bears have looked closely at him because he’s an all-around player who can make a difference in the pass and run game. The Bears would have a world of options in formations with two tight ends, along with Cole Kmet.
I believe the Bears can get an instant contributor at almost any position. It’s not like their roster is so loaded with talent that it wold be challenging for a first-round pick to carve out a space quickly.
If Will Johnson fell to No. 10, could Kyler Gordon play safety? The Bears will soon be in dire need at safety and Johnson is an elite CB prospect. — @title_bu
Chances are good Johnson is available at No. 10, but if the Bears choose him, I’d be surprised if they explored a position change for Gordon. Nickel cornerback is really important, and the Bears believe they have one of the better young ones in the league. That’s to the point, I think the team will explore a contract extension for Gordon this offseason. Keep Gordon where he’s at, where he’s comfortable and allow him to flourish. I don’t disagree that safety will be a pressing need in the near future, but let’s not lose sight that teams can find excellent safeties on Day 2 and even Day 3 of the draft.
There were a handful of questions this week about the safety position. The Bears have put their resources and attention where it had to go to open free agency — and that was in the trenches. There will be a time and place to add some depth and competition on the back end.
How does Dennis Allen differ from Matt Eberflus in defensive philosophy? — @jermaine611
It’s fair to say Eberflus is a defensive coach who favors more standard fronts and foundational coverage principles. He uses late movement to disguise coverages with safeties, but overall, it’s about playing within the scheme and using proper technique.
Allen, the new Bears defensive coordinator, brings a little more complexity in terms of multiple fronts and different coverages with safeties. He probably has a greater variety of pressure packages and favors more stunting up front in order to create open rush lanes.
Allen wants to play more man coverage in the secondary than Eberflus, who was sort of typecast as a Cover Two guy but mixed it up quite a bit. The Bears can play man with Jaylon Johnson, and if Tyrique Stevenson is dialed in, he can do that as well. They probably need a safety with better coverage traits to be really good in man, but nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon can certainly match receivers underneath. What you might see is a lot more two-man coverage, which allows defensive backs to be aggressive underneath with safety help over the top.
Will the new coaching staff have enough time before the draft to form a solid opinion on Kiran Amegadjie based on team workouts that start April 7? It seems that if the Bears truly feel confident about Amegadjie being a viable option at left tackle, they would be less inclined to draft one, at least with their first-round pick. — Jerry L., Chicago
There’s not a lot of time on the grass with players for the coaching staff before the April 24 draft. The voluntary offseason program, which is broken up into three phases, begins April 7, and the Bears will also have a voluntary three-day minicamp starting April 21. That’s a camp with no pads and no contact, so it will be difficult to make any impactful evaluations on the line’s play. Braxton Jones is still rehabilitating from surgery on his broken ankle but is on track to be cleared in the spring at some point. The bonus minicamp that teams with new head coaches get is helpful, but let’s not pretend like the Bears are going to learn a lot that could help them shape last-minute draft decisions.
How does the offseason work once coaches can start working with the players? Given how much Ben Johnson has spoken of the need to work with Caleb Williams, I’d be interested to know just how much time coaches can actually work with the players before training camp. Classroom time seems to be premium time. — @scott_a_miller
The voluntary offseason program is divided into three phases. Here is an explanation of each phase:
Phase I is two weeks in length, with a maximum of four days per week for a maximum of four hours per day. Only strength and conditioning coaches are permitted to work with players on the field for no more than 90 minutes per day. Quarterbacks may elect to throw to receivers, but no defenders can be involved. No helmets are permitted unless players are catching passes from the Jugs machine.
Phase II is three weeks in length, with a maximum of four days per week and again a maximum of four hours per day. All coaches are allowed on the field where players can be for up to 90 minutes. Helmets are not allowed unless players are catching passes from the Jugs machine. There is no offense versus defense, and no one-on-ones are allowed in these sessions. Individual periods are allowed and the team can go through a walk-through.
Phase III is four weeks in length, and teams can hold up to 10 OTAs with as many as three in Weeks 1 and 2, and up to four in either Week 3 or 4. This is also when the team can conduct a mandatory veteran minicamp, lasting three days in length. OTA days cannot exceed six hours in length, and time on the field is limited to two hours. During the three-day minicamp, teams cannot have players in the building for more than 24 hours total, with a maximum practice length of 2 1/2 hours and a total of 3 1/2 hours on the field. OTAs and minicamp are non-contact, but 11-on-11, 9-on-7 and 7-on-7 drills are permitted.
