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The Chicago Bears may have a couple of players struggling to fit into Ben Johnson’s system. And their quarterback might need to listen to some advice from a peer. However, looking ahead to 2026, ESPN picked a Notre Dame star for the Bears in its NFL Mock Draft.
Of course, it’s a little early to look that far ahead. But, hey, it’s the summer. And fans probably need a little something to get their chatter amped up.
The order of the mock draft comes from ESPN’s Football Power Index. It uses thousands of simulations to rank teams from Nos. 1 to 32, giving us the draft order for 2026.
Just to let you know, the ESPN index had the Bears at No. 17. And that’s how they would get their hands on the dynamic runner, according to espn.com.
“The Bears were rumored to be interested in Ashton Jeanty had he fallen to them in the 2025 draft, so perhaps 2026 is when they’ll get a running back,” Matt Miller wrote. “Love was one of the best running backs in the country last season as a sophomore, rushing for 1,125 yards and 17 touchdowns.
“He is a bruising runner at 6-foot and 206 pounds but can also break off big plays — see his 98-yard TD against Indiana in the first round of the playoffs — and shake tacklers in space. That, plus his receiving skills, makes him the perfect feature back for new coach Ben Johnson’s offense.”
It’s kind of funny because the Bears might be able to use love THIS year. The current backfield consists of D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai, and Travis Homer. That doesn’t exactly strike fear into the hearts of defensive coordinators around the NFL. But the Bears waited until the seventh round to get Monangai in this year’s draft.
Still, Johnson has spoken highly of Monangai since the draft, according to yahoo.com.
“In the running back room, Kyle Monangai has really stepped up,” Johnson said. “I appreciate the attention to detail and the pride he takes and how quickly he’s picking things up.”
One of the good things about Monangai is that he had 669 carries without a fumble over four years. He finished his Scarlett Knights career with 3,221 yards and 27 touchdowns.
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