The Chicago Bears came into the 2026 offseason with a lot of work to do. Several of their players were leaving as free agents, and they didn’t have enough money to keep them all. Besides, it became clear that general manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff felt changes were needed despite their strong playoff run. They needed to get younger and faster. That process is already underway with the arrivals of safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush. They also added quick defensive tackle Neville Gallimore. However, the team has been frustratingly silent at edge rusher.
Most people felt that position was the most important to address. Montez Sweat had 10.5 sacks last season, but nobody else stood out. Austin Booker missed much of the season with a knee injury. Dominique Robinson left in free agency. Dayo Odeyingbo tore his Achilles tendon in the win over Cincinnati. The team needed another pass rusher. Yet the Bears GM has remained silent. Why? Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune offered a hint about the real reasoning behind it.
“Sure, it’s a great idea to build a defensive line that can attack the opponent in waves. The last two Super Bowl champions — the Seattle Seahawks and Philadelphia Eagles — did that with great success in the biggest moments. If things align properly, maybe the Bears are able to kick Odeyingbo inside more in pass-rushing situations. But if you bring in that name veteran, who would cost some money, you have to play him, and that could block developmental opportunities for the rookie and even Turner.
What the Bears need is a homegrown pass rusher who can put down roots and become a building block for years to come. Booker has a chance to be that guy. More on him in a little bit. The Bears need more youth at the position.”
Ryan Poles and the coaches are committed to a draft-and-develop strategy.
They share the philosophy that truly successful organizations develop their own talent rather than relying on players that other teams were comfortable letting walk or trading. Building a roster that way is incredibly expensive and almost never works for long. Other Bears general managers have said they wanted to build through the draft. Few of them stuck to their word, eventually resorting to throwing out big contracts to cover up their inability to consistently produce young building blocks.
It has become clear Ryan Poles doesn’t plan to follow that same pattern. If he adds too many veteran names, it reduces the opportunities for young players to make their way into the starting lineup. Booker played really well down the stretch of last season. It looked like Shemar Turner was finding his role before tearing his ACL. The Bears don’t want to disrupt their progress. They are willing to take a calculated risk by focusing on finding another young rusher in the draft and allowing everybody to develop.
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The only unanswered question is who they want.
Everybody assumes Poles will be focused on edge rushers in the 1st round. While that remains a possibility, it can’t be considered a lock. The Bears still have no starting safety next to Bryant in the secondary. They’re also down a starting linebacker with Noah Sewell recovering from a season-ending injury. One must also not discount their desire to replace D.J. Moore at wide receiver or land a definitive future left tackle. It is possible the team is content with waiting until the 2nd round to find that pass rusher. It’s a deep class, and this way, they wouldn’t feel pressured to play him immediately.
Booker could continue in his starting role opposite Sweat, building on the momentum he’d found down the stretch. If this is the strategy, there are some names worth keeping in mind. Dani Dennis-Sutton of Penn State, Derrick Moore of Michigan, and George Gumbs of Florida are all considered potential options in the 2nd round. All have the body type Dennis Allen usually prefers. If the Bears don’t go edge rusher in the 1st, keep those names circled for the 57th and 60th picks.
