Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles and Head Coach Ben Johnson are set to embark on their second NFL Draft together. Things went well for that duo in Year 1, with the team drafting immediate contributors such as Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kyle Monangai. But even after a busy transactional period at the start of the new league year, the Bears still have holes to fill. With that in mind, let’s look at some of the more promising possible Bears fits in the NFL Draft.
Potential Target, School, Position
Info: Kayden McDonald, Ohio State, defensive tackle
Measurements: 6-2 1/8, 326 pounds, 32 1/4-inch arms, 9 3/4-inch hands
Stats, Rankings, Accomplishments
STATS
2025: 65 total tackles (31 solo), 9 tackles-for-loss, 3 sacks, 1 pass defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery in 14 games Career: 85 tackles (38 solo), 11 tackles-for-loss, 3 sacks, 3 passes defended, 2 forced fumbles, 1 fumble recovery in 34 gamesNOTABLE ACHIEVEMENTS
Unanimous All-American (2025) Big Ten Defensive Lineman of the Year (2025) First-team All-Big Ten (2025)Prospect rankings: DT-1, 26th overall (ESPN), DI-1, 28th overall (PFF), DL-3, 32nd overall (CBS Sports), DT-1, 32nd overall (The Athletic)
Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn ImagesExisting Rumors and Bears Connections
Kayden McDonald has been a constant fixture connected to the Bears in various mock drafts since the team’s season ended with a January playoff loss to the Los Angeles Rams. More noteworthy than being linked in conjunction with Chicago via mock drafts is that he took a Top 30 visit with the Bears in March.
Kayden McDonald NFL Draft Profile
NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein said this about the Ohio State defensive lineman:
A talented run defender, McDonald plays with natural leverage and rattles pads with his initial contact. He’s quick to locate ball-carriers, play off of blocks and rally to the action. His technique is a bit underdeveloped and he’s not a natural drain-clogger against double teams, but he still managed an unusually high tackle rate as an interior defender. Quicker hand strikes should allow for more efficient reps and earlier wins at the point. He offers limited rush value, so his money will be made by giving grief to centers and guards as an even-front nose tackle with starting potential.
You can read the complete profile here.
Highlights
The Fit
This is what the Bears’ defensive tackle depth chart looks like right now:
Grady Jarrett (projected starter) Gervon Dexter Sr. (projected starter) Neville Gallimore Shemar Turner Kentavius Street James LynchThe lack of depth along the Bears’ defensive line showed up early and throughout the 2025 season. Between injuries keeping Grady Jarrett and Austin Booker from being a full-go early in the year and season-ending injuries that put Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner on the shelf for most of the season, Chicago was cobbling together a defensive line with bit pieces more often than I’d care to remember. Hence, I like the additions of Gallimore, Street, and Lynch as useful depth pieces along the interior defensive line. However, this group could use a true butt-kicker in the middle. Perhaps they can find that player in the upcoming NFL Draft.
On the surface, using the 25th overall pick on Kayden McDonald makes sense. McDonald plays a position of need and performed at a high level at Ohio State. His final season with the Buckeyes was his best as a collegiate player, as McDonald earned All-Big Ten first-team honors and All-American recognition. The run-stuffing ability is something that I think can transfer over from college to the pros. However, I have concerns about McDonald having just one year of premium production. But that could be a product of having to wait his turn behind pro-bound teammates, as OSU constantly churns out NFL talent.
Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn ImagesKayden McDonald is ranked as the highest-ranking defensive tackle prospect in this draft class by numerous outlets, so much so that I’ve lost count. Throughout the pre-draft process, McDonald has been pegged as a first-round pick. However, recent buzz indicates that there could be no interior defensive linemen taken on the first night of the NFL Draft. If that happened, it would be the first such occurrence since tthe 2021 NFL Draft.
More from ESPN’s Matt Miller:
I haven’t found a team that has a true first-round grade on any defensive tackle. With Caleb Banks (Florida) recently having foot surgery, he’s likely to be a Day 2 pick. The inconsistencies of Peter Woods (Clemson) throughout the season and during the predraft process have caused most teams I have spoken with to put an early-to-mid second-round mark on him. Kayden McDonald (Ohio State) has mixed reviews because of his lack of pass-rushing ability; many teams wouldn’t use a first-round pick on a two-down interior defender.
Thinking about history repeating itself led me to a line of thinking that made me start questioning McDonald’s fit on the Bears.
Don’t get me wrong. I think highly of Kayden McDonald’s prospect status. But I get unsettled when thinking about the limitations in his game — and specifically, when it comes to his pass-rushing prowess. The general consensus in reading pre-draft profiles written about the Ohio State standout is that McDonald lacks effectiveness and productivity as a pass rusher. Perhaps that is something that can be coached up by Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen. But if it isn’t something that can be improved upon, then we might be looking at a prospect who is just a two-down player in the NFL.
Again, I like Kayden McDonald as a prospect. And I won’t be up in arms if he lands in Chicago on NFL Draft weekend. After all, Pro Football Focus ranked the Bears’ defensive line 31st in run-defense grade. This is something that needs to be addressed. But it needs to be addressed with the right player. And the more I dissect his game, the more I see a prospect who would be a better value selection on Day 2.
However, if the Bears feel strongly about their coaching staff’s ability to add another dimension to Kayden McDonald’s game, then drafting a prospect with one strong skill that can be leveraged on early downs as a run defender who could eventually be an impact player on all three downs is something I could get on board with depending on how the board shakes out before the team goes on the clock with the 25th pick.
2026 NFL Draft Prospect Profiles For Chicago Bears Targets
Jordan Tyson, WR — Arizona State Dillon Thieneman, S — OregonTHE BN BEARS PODCAST IS HERE: Apple | Spotify | YouTube
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