2026 NFL Mock Draft sends Chicago Bears impact defender in first round

"The Bears capitalized on their deep bag of cap space in the spring, filling holes and building a solid roster around Caleb Williams," Flick wrote. "Still, they have long-term questions surrounding their perimeter pass rush. Bain, a 6' 3", 275-pounder, is a speed-to-power rusher who condenses pockets and has the arsenal to discard blockers when necessary. He’s still developing his rush plans, but his flashes inspire confidence that there’s more to untap."

Bain possesses the kind of burst and first-step juice that NFL teams covet, and that the Bears could certainly use. Sweat and Odeyingbo are more power players than they are speed guys, and while Bain certainly can strike and drive opposing linemen, he does so with more ferocity than we're used to seeing in Chicago in recent years.

Bain played in just nine games in 2024 (calf injury), and finished the season with 3.5 sacks. It was a regression from the 13 games he appeared in as a freshman, when he burst onto the season with 7.5 sacks.

Assuming the Hurricanes' star returns to his 2023 form, he'll be a certain first-round pick and a prospect who Chicago Bears fans should keep a very close eye on.