AJR'S MOCK DRAFT
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AJR'S MOCK DRAFT
RUN ON JAN 20, 2026

Bears Draft 3

  • AJR DRAFTING FOR THE
    Bears
Draft Selections
Gennings Dunker Head Shot
PICK: 25 RND: 1 (CHI)
Gennings Dunker
OT Iowa
Lee Hunter Head Shot
PICK: 57 RND: 2 (CHI)
Lee Hunter
DT Texas Tech
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren Head Shot
PICK: 89 RND: 3 (CHI)
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
S Toledo
Mike Washington Jr. Head Shot
PICK: 129 RND: 4 (CHI)
Mike Washington Jr.
RB Arkansas
Patrick Payton Head Shot
PICK: 163 RND: 5 (CHI)
Patrick Payton
DL-EDGE LSU
Eric Gentry Head Shot
PICK: 239 RND: 7 (CHI)
Eric Gentry
LB USC
Ja'Keem Jackson Head Shot
PICK: 241 RND: 7 (CHI)
Ja'Keem Jackson
CB LSU
Draft Grade — Bears
Overall B-
ValueB- NeedB+ TradesB- FutureB-
The Bears checked most of the boxes and earned a B-.

Nobody had Patrick Payton this high, and it is not close. The Bears reached 36 spots to get him at pick No. 163.

The McNeil-Warren pick is the one they will point to when this weekend is judged. The quarterback hole is the one line item this class does not answer.

They went 6 of 8 on their needs, which is most of what a draft is for. Building through the lines is a philosophy, and they stuck to it.

A tidy weekend of work that should hold up just fine.

Pick Analysis
Pick25 Rnd1 Gennings Dunker
In pick No. 25 they get protection for the quarterback at fair value.
Pick57 Rnd2 Lee Hunter
A conviction pick on Lee Hunter at the Round 2 slot that the board grades a round light. The one spot they could not leave alone, and did not.
Pick89 Rnd3 Emmanuel McNeil-Warren
Emmanuel McNeil-Warren at Round 3, Pick 25 is the steal of the weekend, a first-round talent at a bargain-bin price. It adds depth where they could use a little.
Pick129 Rnd4 Mike Washington Jr.
Mike Washington Jr. in slot 129 is exactly on the number, no argument either way. This was priority one on the needs board, and now it is handled.
Pick163 Rnd5 Patrick Payton
Patrick Payton in No. 163 is a bet on their own eyes over everyone else's grade. A must-fix position, and they treated it like one.
Pick239 Rnd7 Eric Gentry
The board screamed and they did not listen, reaching into the next round for Eric Gentry. A sensible fit that makes the depth chart a little sturdier.
Pick241 Rnd7 Ja'Keem Jackson
They paid sticker price for Ja'Keem Jackson in pick No. 241, and that is fine. Better still, it is exactly the hole they had to fill.