Ben Johnson'S MOCK DRAFT
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Ben Johnson'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON APR 22, 2026

Good better best

  • Ben Johnson DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bears
Draft Selections
Peter Woods Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (CHI)
Peter Woods
DT Clemson
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CHI)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Jacob Rodriguez Head Shot
PICK: 60 RND: 2 (CHI)
Jacob Rodriguez
LB Texas Tech
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 70 RND: 3 (CHI)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
Ted Hurst Head Shot
PICK: 89 RND: 3 (CHI)
Ted Hurst
WR Georgia State
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 107 RND: 4 (CHI)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Max Llewellyn Head Shot
PICK: 129 RND: 4 (CHI)
Max Llewellyn
DE-EDGE Iowa
Draft Picks Received
Peter Woods Head Shot
PICK: 34 RND: 2 (ARI)
Peter Woods
DT Clemson
Malachi Lawrence Head Shot
PICK: 41 RND: 2 (CIN)
Malachi Lawrence
DE-EDGE UCF
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 70 RND: 3 (CLE)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
VJ Payne Head Shot
PICK: 107 RND: 4 (CLE)
VJ Payne
S Kansas State
Draft Picks Traded
Sonny Styles Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (ARI)
Sonny Styles
LB Ohio State
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CIN)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Thaddeus Dixon Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (ARI)
Thaddeus Dixon
CB North Carolina
Diego Pavia Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (ARI)
Diego Pavia
QB Vanderbilt
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 3 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 4 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
No Pick Head Shot
PICK: RND: 5 (LV)
NEXT YEAR (2027)
 
Draft Grade — Bears
Overall B
ValueC+ NeedA- TradesA- FutureC
The Bears checked most of the boxes and earned a B.

There was a run on nobody at that position, and the Bears started one anyway for VJ Payne, 94 picks ahead of schedule. Call it a sensible B, earned the boring way.

That cornerback hole did not close this weekend, and it was the biggest one on the wall. That is a linebacker worth more than the slot they spent on him, plainly. The dealing nudged the ledger their way without much fuss.

On the needs board they went 5 of 8, with edge rusher the one that mattered most.

In sum, a sensible class that nudges the roster the right way.

Pick Analysis
Pick34 Rnd2 Peter Woods
Nothing to complain about; Peter Woods went a shade earlier than his grade, which is fine. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick41 Rnd2 Malachi Lawrence
Malachi Lawrence at pick 41 jumps the queue by a touch more than is comfortable. It answers the question that was keeping the coaches up at night.
Pick60 Rnd2 Jacob Rodriguez
Nice patience on Jacob Rodriguez, who had no business lasting to Round 2, Pick 28. It patches a soft spot without any drama.
Pick70 Rnd3 Mike Washington Jr.
A market-rate running back, with the board and the slot shaking hands on Mike Washington Jr.. The biggest hole on the depth chart just got a whole lot smaller.
Pick89 Rnd3 Ted Hurst
Ted Hurst in the Round 3 slot is exactly on the number, no argument either way. A real hole, addressed with a reasonable pick.
Pick107 Rnd4 VJ Payne
A wild overpay on VJ Payne in the 107th overall pick, the sort that defines a class for the wrong reasons. Useful depth more than a marquee fix.
Pick129 Rnd4 Max Llewellyn
A swing that ignored the value entirely, Max Llewellyn well ahead of where he belonged. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.