The Bears will have the 20th pick in the NFL draft on April 29.
They cemented the spot in the draft after losing 20-9 to the Saints in the first round of the playoffs Sunday evening. The first 18 selections were already set. The Washington Football Team, which finished 7-9 and lost its playoff game Saturday, will draft No. 19.
The Bears’ most recent No. 20 overall pick worked out well — Kyle Long made the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons with the team despite playing sparingly at Oregon after transferring from a junior college.
The Bears also used the No. 20 pick on Michigan defensive lineman Dave Gallagher in 1974. The next year, they traded him to the Giants for receiver Bob Grim.
This year figures to mark the first time the Bears have drafted a player in the first round since taking inside Roquan Smith in 2018. They traded their first round picks in 2019 and 2020 as part of the Khalil Mack deal.
