The 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, and the Chicago Bears welcomed seven new rookies to the roster, including four new defensive players.
The Bears had four picks in the first three rounds of the draft, which included some impactful additions of safety Dillon Thieneman, center Logan Jones, tight end Sam Roush and wide receiver Zavion Thomas. They also added some high upside rookies in cornerback Malik Muhammad, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg on Day 3.
When looking at this defense, there are still some concerns about the defensive line, especially considering how Chicago didn’t add a big name this offseason via free agency or the NFL Draft. But the Bears did improve their secondary, including the addition of Thieneman to pair with newcomer Coby Bryant. Following the 2026 NFL Draft, we’re predicting what Chicago’s starting defense will look like.
DE Montez Sweat
While the pass rush notably struggled, Montez Sweat had a bounce-back year after a disappointing 2024 season. Sweat recorded double-digit sacks for the first time with the Bears (he totaled 12.5 between Chicago and Washington when the Commanders traded him in 2023). He also totaled 53 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, 18 QB hits, 53 pressures, three forced fumbles and five pass breakups. While Sweat wasn’t a superstar at the position, he was consistent and was easily the best part of Chicago’s struggling pass rush.
DE Austin Booker
The Bears didn’t target an edge rusher in free agency or the draft, so it’ll be a battle between Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo for the starting job opposite Sweat. Right now, the edge goes to Booker, who showed immense potential coming off an injury mid-season and has bulked up this offseason. Booker had 4.5 sacks, 12 QB hits, 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, three pass breakups and one forced fumbles in 10 games with nine starts. Chicago is banking on a breakout year for the former fourth-round pick to help shore up the team’s biggest weakness.
DT Gervon Dexter
Right now, Gervon Dexter is the best defensive tackle the Bears have, and he’ll need a big season in what’s a contract year for the former second-round pick. Last season, Dexter tallied a career-best six sacks, ending the season in total pressures (22) and hits (11) along to go along with 26 hurries. That’s the kind of production Chicago needs from its interior linemen to provide a boost for the pass rush. Dexter wasn’t elite by any means, but he still had his moments.
DT Grady Jarrett
The Bears bet big on Grady Jarrett last offseason, signing him to a multi-year deal to shore up the interior defensive line, but he had an overall disappointing season in 2025. Jarrett played in 14 of 17 regular-season games and both postseason contests, but he didn’t really make an impact as an interior pass rusher (3.0 sacks) or run defender. His biggest impact game in the locker room, but Chicago needs to see improvement on the field if this defense is going to improve.
LB T.J. Edwards
The Bears signed T.J. Edwards to a two-year contract extension last April, keeping him in Chicago through 2027, but he didn’t live up to it during the 2025 season. Edwards missed most of the season due to injuries, but he started all 10 games he played in and logged 67 tackles, an interception and 0.5 sack. Edwards suffered a fractured fibula in Chicago’s wild-card win over the Packers, which will sideline him for most of the offseason, but he’s on track to return in 2026.
LB Devin Bush
After releasing Tremaine Edmunds, which freed up $15 million in salary cap space, the Bears addressed the departure with the signing of Devin Bush, who signed a three-year, $30 million contract. Bush is coming off a career year with the Browns, where he totaled 125 tackles, including seven tackles for loss, three interceptions, including two picks returned for touchdowns, eight pass breakups, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, 2.0 sacks and four QB hits in 17 starts. He’ll bring a lot of speed to the linebacker room as he fills the WILL linebacker role left by Edmunds.
CB Jaylon Johnson
The Bears were without their star cornerback for most of the 2025 season after suffering a groin injury before training camp and led to him suffering a new groin injury in Week 2 that held him out until November. When Johnson did return to the field (he played in seven games), it was clear that he wasn’t healthy but trying everything to be there for his team amid the playoff hunt. Johnson admitted that he wasn’t 100 percent, and that it was going to take time, but he did improve and looked like himself at times during the final stretch of the season and the postseason. The hope is he’ll be able to rest up and return to his Pro Bowl form in 2026.
CB Tyrique Stevenson
Following the departure of Pro Bowler Nahshon Wright, Tyrique Stevenson figures to be the favorite to start opposite Jaylon Johnson. But there are questions about whether he can be trusted as a long-term option, and he’ll face plenty of competition from Terell Smith, returning from injury, and fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad, who might be his biggest competition for the starting job. For now, before the players even hit the practice field, I’ll pencil in Stevenson. But I won’t be surprised when/if Muhammad or Smith pass him up.
NCB Kyler Gordon
Like Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon missed most of the 2025 season due to injury. In fact, he spent two different stints on injured reserve (at the start of 2025 and then midway through). It was disappointing after the Bears rewarded Gordon with a lucrative three-year, $40 million contract extension that made him the highest-paid slot cornerback at the time. When on the field, Gordon has been a game-changer for this defense. But that was the issue as he appeared in just three games this season. He’s going to need to focus on conditioning this offseason with the hopes of playing his first full season in Year 5.
S Coby Bryant
The Bears signed a young playmaker in Coby Bryant on the first day of free agency to fill one of two starting safety jobs. Bryant, a former fourth-round pick, played a big part of Seattle’s Super Bowl run, totaling 66 tackles, four interceptions, seven pass breakups and one forced fumble in 2025. He converted from cornerback to safety a couple of years ago, but he’s thrived in his new position. Bryant is a ballhawk who will slide into the role vacated by Kevin Byard.
S Dillon Thieneman
Chicago landed a steal in Dillon Thieneman in the first round of the NFL draft. He has elite instincts and playmaking ability that should make him a difference maker in Dennis Allen’s defense opposite Coby Bryant. Last season with Oregon, Thieneman totaled 92 tackles, two interceptions, five pass breakups and one sack and earned First-Team All Big Ten honors. After the losses of Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker this offseason, the Bears have shored up safety in a big way.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Predicting the Bears’ starting defense after 2026 NFL Draft
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
