Ex-Rams DE explains why the Ty Simpson pick was actually smart
Chris Long believes Rams' Ty Simpson pick is a smart long-term strategy.
The Chicago Bears did not draft any edge rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting only defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg. Head coach Ben Johnson believes the current roster can improve with better coaching and the return of injured players Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner.
Ben Johnson sounds off on Bears not drafting any edge rushers
The Chicago Bears left some scratching their heads as they opted not to select any edge rushers in the 2026 NFL Draft. In fact, the only defensive lineman that the Bears selected was defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg out of Georgia Tech, who they took in the sixth round with their final selection of the draft.
While they didn't bring in any edge rushers, head coach Ben Johnson explained the reasoning, putting some of it on the coaching staff, believing he has the players on the roster to coach better. On top of the coaching, Johnson said he has faith in two players who were injured last year, Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner, in returning to full strength and upgrading their pass rush.
"We're certainly going to coach better than we did a year ago," Johnson said. "And like I said before, it starts there. We've made a concerted effort in how we're going to get that done. We are excited about the guys that ended up finishing the season on IR, the trajectory that they were on, both Dayo (Odeyingbo) and Shemar (Turner). When you look at it from the start of the season to the point where they both got injured, we saw growth and we saw them trending in the right direction, in terms of what we want to see on game day.
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
1 / 1
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
The Bears opted not to select any edge rushers as head coach Ben Johnson believes the current roster can perform better with improved coaching.
The Bears drafted only defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg from Georgia Tech in the sixth round.
Ben Johnson plans to coach better and has confidence in returning injured players Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner to enhance the pass rush.
Both players showed growth and were trending positively in their performance before getting injured last season.
Chris Long believes Rams' Ty Simpson pick is a smart long-term strategy.
Red Sox brass in talks about coaching staff changes after firing Alex Cora.
Maryland women's lacrosse loses to Northwestern 8-7 in Big Ten final
Mel Kiper assigned the Arizona Cardinals a 'B' grade for their performance in the 2026 NFL draft, highlighting concerns in one specific area.
Tulsa's Steven Baker clinches victory at the 2026 OKC Memorial Marathon!
UCLA softball secures 7-2 win over Washington, dominating the game!
See every story in Sports â including breaking news and analysis.
1 / 1
2026 NFL Draft: Bears select Dillon Thieneman in first round (No. 25)
"I think (Montez) Sweat had one of his better years in the NFL. Whether that shows up in the sack total or not, he's a very complete player, both in the run game and pass game. I think you saw tremendous growth from (DL Austin) Booker when we were finally able to get him back, as well. The combination of us being able to coach better and those guys taking the next step as part of this system, I think we have some pretty good pieces to work with."
Last offseason, the Bears signed Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract, with $32 million guaranteed, but he suffered a torn Achilles injury in early November, cutting his first season in Chicago short. Odeyingbo only had one sack in the eight games that he played, so he'll have to show this coaching staff that he is not only fully healthy, but can get back to the player they signed to the big deal as well.
Turner is a hybrid type of defensive lineman that the team drafted in the second-round of last year's draft, but he was hampered by injuries all season from an ankle injury in training camp to a torn ACL in Week 8. The Bears need to find out just who and what they have in the former second round pick.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears HC Ben Johnson sounds off on no edge rushers in NFL draft