The Chicago Bears have made their intentions for the upcoming NFL draft pretty clear through their moves in free agency. They secured a starting safety, a starting linebacker, a starting center, and two options at left tackle. Both of their defensive tackle additions are backups, and they haven’t signed an edge rusher at all. It isn’t hard to read between the lines that Bears general manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff plan to attack the defensive line early in the draft next month, most likely in the 1st round.
Expectations were that they might have a strong selection of both positions when they go on the clock at #25. However, new updates from the draft community have created some confusion. Peter Woods, the Clemson standout who many see as the best defensive tackle in the class, hurt his hamstring at his Pro Day. As a result, he didn’t run the 40-yard dash and had a middling overall performance.
It doesn’t stop there. Florida’s Caleb Banks had been having arguably the best pre-draft process of any defensive tackle in the class. He dominated at the Senior Bowl and had a strong showing at the combine. Unfortunately, it appears he broke his foot in the process, resulting in surgery. This is the second such foot injury he has suffered in the past year.
The Chicago Bears’ thoughts on both players might be shifting.
Woods was already a question mark. People acknowledge that he is a terrific athlete for his size with tons of upside. However, his production in college was middling, and he failed to put on a decent pre-draft showing. Evaluators are split on him. While there is no doubt he could morph into a serious force, the risks appear to outweigh the rewards. The same goes for Banks. He has everything: size, length, power, and, surprisingly, quickness. He also appears to be fragile in his lower body, which is a major red flag for men over 330 lbs.
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If the Chicago Bears were considering either player at #25 before, those odds have just gone down. Poles is a stickler for medicals in draft evaluations, having never spent a top draft choice on players with checkered histories. With Woods and Banks now facing questions, he is far more likely to pivot to players at other positions. Edge rusher is the obvious one to watch, while safety and linebacker could also be possibilities. As important as defensive tackle is, they can’t afford to be wrong picking so late in the 1st round.
Things were already drifting that way.
You can see it from the Chicago Bears’ approach to free agency. They added two defensive tackles, Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street, but no edge rushers. SM was informed that the team brass is very high on the incoming edge class. All of this information points to an obvious conclusion. The team plans to take an edge rusher with that 25th overall pick, barring something unexpected. Most experts agree there should be a small cluster of good players available at that position when the Bears pick.
There is still a good chance Woods and Banks become good players in the NFL. They have loads of talent. It is about risk calculation. Both underachieved in 2025. Both have health issues following them. The Bears can’t afford to roll the dice on such players right when it looks like they’re turning a corner as a franchise. You may call it being too cautious. They call it being sensible. This team isn’t afraid to take chances, but neither player has the background to justify it here.
