Despite missing most of the 2025 season with a foot injury, Banks reignited excitement about his potential during Senior Bowl week. He provides the Bears with the push they want to create inside.

The temptation here is to pour resources into the defensive front. But with a deep class in that regard, it's easier to wait when a player like this at a position of need remains available. Proctor seems ready-made for the Bears, a three-year starter and an All-American last season. At 6-7, 366, he is massive, has impressive length and would be an immediate asset to the running game. His agility helps in pass protection. Just like that, the Bears add a player who can help both quarterback Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson be at their best.

The Bears need to address their defensive line, but there's also a chance they'll be without both of their starting 2025 safeties next year. With the way the board has fallen, Emmanuel McNeil-Warren may look like the better value. McNeil-Warren is good at a lot of the things Jaquan Brisker has done well for the Bears and seems like a natural replacement.

Chicago was the only NFL team to not draft a defensive player in Round 1 between 2019 and 2025. It made five Day 1 selections over that span, and all of them played offense -- including two QB picks.

The good news? It eventually worked. The Bears were top 10 in offensive points per game (25.1), yards per play (5.7) and EPA (68.3) last season. The first-rounders cooked. Quarterback Caleb Williams broke out and showed some of the generational talent we saw when he was coming out of USC in 2024. Receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland were major players of the passing game, and right tackle Darnell Wright was steady in protection.

The bad news? The defense lagged behind a little, held up by an unsustainable penchant for creating turnovers (33, most in the NFL). Chicago managed just 35 sacks (tied for 22nd) without an edge-rush running mate for Montez Sweat, and opponents averaged 5.0 yards per run (29th). The Bears changed out Tremaine Edmunds for Devin Bush in free agency, and the secondary took a big hit with multiple starters heading elsewhere. Time for a first-round change, even if this Day 1 selection was much later than Chicago had become accustomed to picking.

Dillon Thieneman was a great get at No. 25. Coordinator Dennis Allen can move him all over the place -- deep safety, in the box, out wide, over the slot. He's an instinctive player who had a six-interception season in 2023 while still at Purdue (before transferring to Oregon), and he should help make up for some of the on-ball production lost in the free agency exodus in the secondary.

The rest of the class was slightly up and down. Logan Jones -- my top-ranked center -- looks like the perfect Drew Dalman replacement. Yes, the Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury, but I wanted to see Chicago make a long-term move there, and Jones is already essentially a seasoned pro with 51 career starts. At receiver, general manager Ryan Poles went down the board a little bit for Zavion Thomas; he was a clear Day 3 guy.

Potentially most important in all of this is Chicago not looking at edge rusher or defensive tackle until Jordan van den Berg at No. 213. Chicago needed someone opposite Sweat and didn't get it, and while I heard some Day 3 sleeper love for van den Berg, he's a depth guy.

Meh? They've been working their board for weeks, including exporting DJ Moore to Buffalo for a second-rounder. GM Ryan Poles maneuvered around further through the weekend. Yet it doesn't feel like the reigning NFC North champs came away with anyone aside from first-round S Dillon Thieneman who will make much of an impact in 2026. Second-round C Logan Jones is undersized (6-3, 299) but could get a redshirt year before he has to assume a starting role ... and it is generally hard to quibble with Iowa O-linemen.