Obvious signs point to the Chicago Bears drafting a wide receiver as their Round 2 pick, and that WR may be from Ole Miss.
With just 2 days left in the 2026 NFL Draft, most teams have wrapped up their visits with their early-round prospects. Interestingly, Ole Miss Rebels' WR De'Zhaun Stribling is the only WR with a confirmed visit on the Bears' list.
De'Zhaun Stribling to Chicago Bears?
It's not that Ben Johnson urgently needs a wideout; they have the ones they fall back on in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden, plus newly signed veteran Kalif Raymond. However, beyond them, the depth chart falls off a cliff. That's why Johnson won't mind adding it as a new offensive weapon in some capacity.
Rebels' De'Zhaun Stribling is the only official WR on the Bears' Top 30 official visit list, meaning Johnson has significant interest in him. Some boards have Stribling as a Day 3 talent, but you wouldn't know it from the non-stop interest he's getting from NFL war rooms.
If the Bears want Stribling, they have to pull the trigger in Round 2. Any later, and Chicago risks getting blindsided by a team looking to poach the draft’s biggest sleeper.
Plus, drafting Stribling also addresses the gaping vacancy left behind from the Elijah Moore trade. Were Odunze or Burden to be injured down the road, Caleb Williams would be left throwing to free agents. The 2026 NFL Draft is the perfect window for Johnson to get out in front of the problem before it catches up to him.
The Bears hold 57th, 60th, and 86th picks. Acting as early as they can afford would be a smart Day 2 move.
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