The Chicago Bears have actually done a pretty good job with their 1st round picks under general manager Ryan Poles since his arrival in 2022. Darnell Wright is on the cusp of being a Pro Bowler at right tackle. Caleb Williams just finished one of the best seasons in franchise history last year at quarterback. Rome Odunze has flashed tons of playmaking ability despite his frequent health setbacks. Last but not least, Colston Loveland rapidly emerged as a dynamic force on offense as a rookie at tight end.
Now the focus shifts to the 2026 draft. Logically, it seems like the right time for the Bears to shift their focus to defense. The team was 29th last season despite leading the league in turnovers. They need some cornerstone players on that side of the ball. However, there are lingering questions about whether head coach Ben Johnson might divert such ideas. He still needs a left tackle, and the Bears also had to trade away D.J. Moore. Could they look to add a receiver?
Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune doesn’t think that happens. He seemed pretty certain on 104.3 The Score that the Bears are focused on defense with that 25th pick.
The Chicago Bears have tried the bargain route for long enough.
Spending all four of their 1st round picks on offense didn’t stop there for the Bears. They also used two 2nd round picks on offensive players, Luther Burden and Ozzy Trapilo. Defensively, they’ve used a total of five 2nd round picks since Poles arrived four years ago. Jaquan Brisker left in free agency. Kyler Gordon signed an extension, but has health issues. Gervon Dexter has played well the past two years. Tyrique Stevenson was benched for Nahshon Wright last season. Shemar Turner tore his ACL.
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Trying to subsist on later picks to build a successful unit, while not impossible, is very difficult. The two best defenses of the Super Bowl era for Chicago were built around 1st round picks. It was Dan Hampton, Otis Wilson, Wilbur Marshall, and William Perry in the 1980s. It was Brian Urlacher and Tommie Harris in the 2000s. Then you had Kyle Fuller, Leonard Floyd, and Roquan Smith in 2018. Despite significant amounts of money and draft picks thrown at the problem to this point, the Bears can’t keep putting off adding 1st round help.
This approach is unusual from Poles’ point of view.
Remember, he came from Kansas City. The Chiefs employed almost the exact opposite strategy during their climb to Super Bowl champions. When Andy Reid, an offensive head coach, took over in 2013, the team took left tackle Eric Fisher #1 overall. After that, their first pick in each of the next three drafts would all be on the defensive side of the ball. It wasn’t a new approach either. Todd Haley, their previous head coach, was also an offensive guy. Despite that, three of the four 1st round picks they made were defenders.
Poles seems to have broken away from that mode of thinking. His goal was to build a foundation for when he eventually took a quarterback. You can’t argue with the results after the offense finished top 10 last season. Still, such an approach will have consequences. The other side of the ball often suffers from a lack of foundational talent. The Chicago Bears are finally ready to start changing that. Using the 25th overall pick is the logical first step. Don’t be surprised if they continue the overall with both 2nd round picks as well.
