Bears draft
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LAKE FOREST, ILLINOIS - JULY 28: General manager Ryan Poles of the Chicago Bears looks on during Chicago Bears Training Camp at Halas Hall on July 28, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
The Chicago Bears have added a couple important pieces on defense in free agency, but executives across the NFL remain skeptical that the franchise has addressed its most urgent need.
Chicago could not effectively pressure opposing quarterbacks last year, which left an injured secondary hanging out to dry more often than not. The great equalizer was that the Bears led the league in both total takeaways (33) and turnover differential (+22), but those tallies are as luck-based and prone to regression as any statistic in professional football.
Translation: the Bears can not bet on consistently winning the turnover battle in 2026 as a way to keep a bad defense’s collective head above water. A return to health for cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon should prove a stabilizer, while the signings of safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush are both plus-moves for the defense.
But nearly a month into the new league year, Chicago has not meaningfully improved the interior of its defensive line or its pass rush. The Bears defense surrendered 5.0 yards per carry (29th) and 7.6 yards per pass attempt (28th) to opposing offenses in 2025, while also finishing bottom five in the league in quick pressures and pass rush win rate.
Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke with rival executives around the league about every NFC team’s offseason, and the refrain on the Bears was similar time and again.
“The pass rush has been their biggest question on defense the last few years,” one front office figure told Sando. “They need to improve the D-line, but they couldn’t really do it because they are locked into guys with guaranteed money. They didn’t really address their biggest defensive need.”
Bears’ Investments in Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo Failed to Pay Off Last Season
Dayo Odeyingbo
GettyDefensive end Dayo Odeyingbo of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago attempted to build out the defense at the point of attack in free agency last offseason, adding defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo on sizable contracts.
But Jarrett is pushing toward his mid-30s and is starting to look his age, finishing 76th out of 134 interior defenders who saw enough snaps to qualify in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.
Odeyingbo, who was never a sack machine, tallied a total of one sack in eight games before tearing his Achilles tendon.
Chicago has no incentive to cut either player, as releasing Odeyingbo as a post-June 1 designation would result in just $500,000 in savings and a dead cap hit of $20 million. Moving on from Jarret would result in $675,000 in cap savings and a dead cap charge of $18.25 million.
Bears May Find Best Value at Edge-Rusher in Free Agency
Jadeveon Clowney #42 of the Dallas Cowboys
GettyDefensive end Jadeveon Clowney, formerly of the Dallas Cowboys.
The best the Bears can do this season is try to add to what they have through inexpensive free-agent additions and draft picks.
Chicago selects at Nos. 25, 57, 60 and 89 through the first three rounds, and the majority of those picks are likely to bring back defensive players. Defensive tackle and safety are the two most common projections from draft analysts for the Bears’ first-round selection.
Meanwhile, Chicago might find its best edge-rushing value in free agency via a short-term contract for a player like Jadeveon Clowney or Leonard Floyd.