NFL draft: Ranking the Chicago Bears’ positions of need after free agency

Other than an odd deal here or there, NFL free agency is in the books. The Chicago Bears addressed several needs and added a lot of veteran depth.

The draft is less than two weeks away. The Bears have seven picks, including the No. 25 selection in the first round and two second-round picks.

So what are the priorities for general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson heading into the draft? Here’s a look at the team’s biggest areas of need — and several prospects who could be available.

1. Edge rusher

When a team finishes near the bottom of the league in quarterback pressure rate, edge rusher has to be a top priority. The Bears head into 2026 with Montez Sweat and Austin Booker as the top defensive ends on their depth chart. Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner are next up, but both are returning from season-ending injuries — Odeyingbo a torn Achilles and Turner a torn ACL.

The Bears need depth on the edge, but it’s about more than depth. They need a difference-maker to play opposite Sweat.

Booker could be poised to emerge as such, but that’s no guarantee. In his second year, Booker missed the first half of the season with a knee injury but recorded 4½ sacks over the final 10 games. He also had one against the Green Bay Packers wiped off the board by a roughing-the-passer penalty.

The Bears knew Booker would be a multiyear project when they selected him with a fifth-round pick in 2024. He was somewhat raw and needed to put on weight, but he showed potential. Even if the Bears were to draft an edge rusher in the first round, having a promising young player like Booker potentially coming off the bench only would help the depth of the line as a whole.

The Bears haven’t drafted an edge rusher in the first round since taking Leonard Floyd in 2016.

Prospects to watch: Keldric Faulk, Auburn; Cashius Howell, Texas A&M; Akheem Mesidor, Miami; T.J. Parker, Clemson; R Mason Thomas, Oklahoma; Zion Young, Missouri.

2. Safety

The Bears signed veteran Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million contract in March, perhaps their most notable addition in free agency. Bryant won a Super Bowl last season with the Seattle Seahawks and should be an impact starter.

But the Bears don’t have a clear second starter at safety. They signed versatile defensive back Cam Lewis, but he never has been a full-time starter. After 2025 starters Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker and backup Jonathan Owens left in free agency, finding a starting safety should be a primary goal in this draft. Perhaps that’s a priority in the first round, perhaps not.

Safety is a position at which teams can find capable starters on Day 2, and the Bears have two second-round picks and a third-rounder. But if they don’t zero in on the trenches in Round 1, safety looks like the likeliest alternative.

Prospects to watch: Bud Clark, TCU; A.J. Haulcy, LSU; Jalon Kilgore, South Carolina; Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo; Dillon Thieneman, Oregon; Zakee Wheatley, Penn State.

3. Defensive tackle

Gervon Dexter Sr. is entering the final year of his rookie contract. Veteran Grady Jarrett has two years remaining on his deal, but the Bears could move on from Jarrett after the 2026 season without a big financial hit.

The additions of Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch in free agency don’t preclude defensive tackle from being a priority in the draft. The Bears could be in the market for a young, developmental tackle to play behind Dexter and Jarrett this season — with an eye toward starting in 2027. If they can find an athletic, penetrating tackle who can dent the pocket, that could prove as beneficial to the pass rush as finding an edge rusher.

But stopping the run is just as big of a concern. The Bears ranked 27th among 32 teams in rushing yards allowed. The top of this draft appears to have several run-stuffing tackles. Considering the number of edge rushers, offensive tackles and defensive backs expected to go early in the first round, it’s entirely possible the top defensive tackle will remain on the board when the Bears are up at No. 25.

The goal should be to improve the defensive line, and there’s more than one way to accomplish that goal.

Prospects to watch: Caleb Banks, Florida; Lee Hunter, Texas Tech; Kayden McDonald, Ohio State; Christen Miller, Georgia; Domonique Orange, Iowa State; Peter Woods, Clemson.

4. Center

After Drew Dalman’s surprise retirement, the Bears traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury ahead of free agency. Bradbury has started 105 regular-season games for the Minnesota Vikings and New England Patriots.

Bradbury will be 31 when the season begins, and he’ll be a free agent next year. His addition sets up a scenario in which the Bears might look to draft a center who could sit and learn behind Bradbury for a year.

As it stands, second-year lineman Luke Newman is likely the backup center. The Bears drafted Newman out of Michigan State in the sixth round last year. He played guard in college but worked at both guard and center after joining the Bears. Still, he’s unproven in the NFL.

The Bears haven’t drafted a center in the first three rounds since taking James Daniels with the 39th pick in 2018. Several centers should be available on Day 2 if they want to explore the position.

Prospects to watch: Sam Hecht, Kansas State; Logan Jones, Iowa; Connor Lew, Auburn; Jake Slaughter, Florida.

5. Offensive tackle

Perhaps this is lower on the list than some Bears fans might expect. But the Bears have done a good job of positioning themselves with a wealth of options at left tackle in 2026. None is a surefire answer, but there are options.

They have Theo Benedet and Braxton Jones returning, plus 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie. In free agency, they took a flyer on Jedrick Wills Jr., a former first-round pick who sat out all of last season because of a knee injury. Ozzy Trapilo also returns, but his recovery from a serious January knee injury is expected to keep him out for most of the season.

Jones started 44 games at left tackle over the last four years. Benedet proved to be a serviceable starter for half of last season. Wills played at a high level before his injury but will have to prove himself all over again. Trapilo won’t be the answer in 2026, but he could be the long-term answer once healthy.

Johnson showed last year he can scheme around an inexperienced left tackle. Why wouldn’t he feel confident doing it again?

For all of those reasons, the Bears might not be thinking left tackle at No. 25. So why is the position on this list?

Because if a potential starting left tackle is available at No. 25, the Bears have to consider taking him. It’s clearly biggest weakness on the offensive line. Perhaps the top tackles are all gone by the time No. 25 comes around. In that case, look elsewhere.

But if not, they’ll be prepared.

Prospects to watch: Max Iheanachor, Arizona State; Caleb Lomu, Utah; Blake Miller, Clemson; Kadyn Proctor, Alabama; Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern.