The Chicago Bears enjoyed plenty of success in the 2025 season, finishing with an 11-6 record, winning the NFC North title, getting to the NFC divisional playoffs, while also beating the Green Bay Packers twice.
There was some surprise to the fast success the Chicago had, but most of the credit went to head coach Ben Johnson and how he reintegrated the offense under second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and a rebuilt offensive line, but also the defense was helped by the arrival of veteran respected coordinator, Dennis Allen.
The Bears led the league in takeaways last season, but lost three of their most productive players this offseason with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Kevin Byard, and cornerback Nahshon Wright who all left for new teams in free agency. Chicago’s coaches and front office mentioned that they wanted to get faster, eliminate big plays, and find players who fit their system more this offseason, but their biggest signing on defense thus far has been safety Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks.
While the franchise has more to fix on defense than offense, there is no better opportunity for them to address those voids than the 2026 NFL Draft. Here’s our look at the top questions for the Bears defense heading into the draft next week.
Will it be safety first?
There are three safeties mocked to be selected in the first round, and there’s a chance that all three could be gone before the Bears select at the No. 25 pick. Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman are two names who are projected to possibly be on the board, with the top safety Caleb Downs more than likely certainly gone before Chicago selects.
With only three safeties on the roster — and a starting job to be filled — the Bears can’t afford to wait around and may have to test the waters with a potential trade if they feel they will miss out on all three of the top draft prospects at the position. It’ll be hard to replace the production lost by the departures of All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, but they cannot sit on their hands and wait for something to happen.
How early will they address defensive tackle?
As urgent as the safety position is for the Bears, so is the defensive tackle spot where Chicago really only has veteran Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr. manning the middle. There is plenty of depth in the trenches that could allow them to look at the position in the second and third round, which is where Ryan Poles addressed the position lastly back in 2023 with the selection of Dexter and Zacch Pickens, who is no longer with the team.
Multiple names are projected to be first or second round picks at the defensive tackle spot, including Kayden McDonald, Caleb Banks, Peter Woods and Christen Miller. Without making any moves to address the position in a significant way this offseason, many expect the Bears to bring in a player in the middle of the defensive line early in the draft.
Any edge rusher reinforcements?
The Bears need to address their pass rush during the NFL draft, where they could find a disruptive defensive tackle, but they could also add a playmaker off the edge in what’s a deep draft class. Depending on what their draft board looks like, Chicago could find themselves looking at selecting the best available edge rusher at No. 25, or even look to the later rounds.
Given the lack of production that the Bears got from the edge rush position last year, it feels inevitable that they will get there sooner rather than later if the board falls to them correctly. Chicago needs to find a true complement opposite Montez Sweat, even with Austin Booker’s emergence and Dayo Odeyingbo set to return.
Does the linebacker group need insurance?
After signing Devin Bush in free agency, the Bears also re-signed veteran D’Marco Jackson and brought back a familiar face in Jack Sanborn, all three of whom should make a good group with veteran leader T.J. Edwards at linebacker. Last year, the team used a fourth round pick on Ruben Hyppolite, but he couldn’t crack the lineup much even when they were hindered by injuries at the linebacker spot.
There are not many names that make much sense, but if the Bears can find value at the linebacker spot, it may be worth rolling the dice in the middle of the draft. One name that could certainly be one to watch on Day 2 of the draft would be Malcolm Rodriguez out of Texas Tech, who is the type of player that Chicago looks for at the position, especially with his play-making ability.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Biggest questions for Chicago Bears defense before 2026 NFL Draft
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
