The Chicago Bears were not the biggest spenders in free agency. This wasn’t a great shock. They had salary cap constraints that limited the moves they could make. Still, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson felt they needed to at least make some additions to help spur the team forward. In total, they signed three players to multiyear contracts. The biggest by a comfortable margin was safety Coby Bryant. Chicago landed him on a four-year deal worth $13.33 million per year.

It was a surprise move considering many felt the Bears would focus on bringing back Kevin Byard or Jaquan Brisker. Instead, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen felt the team needed more speed and a tone-setter on the back end. Bryant checked both boxes. One thing we know is that you can always tell whether a signing is good or bad by the reactions from people in the league. Mike Sando of The Athletic got reactions from some executives on Bryant, and their responses were short and to the point.

Execs also liked safety Coby Bryant’s addition to the secondary.

“Good player — wish we could have gotten him,” an exec said of Bryant.

“Seattle wanted to keep him,” another exec said.

Coby Bryant isn’t a star, but he is a straw.

That is to say, he’s the straw that stirs the drink. His versatility and veteran leadership were apparent countless times over the past two years for the Seattle Seahawks. While they had plenty of star power on defense, his presence was the one that offenses had to account for a lot. Having somebody like that on the back end of your defense can be such a blessing. The Bears have seen it many times with Gary Fencik, Mark Carrier, Mike Brown, and Kevin Byard.

He won’t solve all of the problems on defense. One player can’t do that. What the Bears wanted with Coby Bryant was someone opponents had to game-plan around. This isn’t somebody you can just run a specific scheme against without worrying about. He is capable of playing in almost any role, be it around the line of scrimmage or patrolling the back end. This isn’t a player you can easily fool. Allen knows the value of such times from his time working with Brian Dawkins, Malcolm Jenkins, and Tyrann Mathieu.

The trick now will be finding him a wingman.

Bryant is currently the only starter they have on the roster. Cam Lewis is penciled in as the primary option at the other spot, but he’s never been a full-time safety in his career. Most see the veteran as a good rotational defensive back who is effective as a nickel cornerback. This is why many believe the Bears will be active early in the draft, seeking safety help. They haven’t taken one in the 1st round since 1990, but experts see three clear options in that range, including Caleb Downs of Ohio State, Dillon Thieneman of Oregon, and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren of Toledo.

Poles was in Kansas City when they took Eric Berry 5th overall, so he’s not inexperienced with such an idea. Much will depend on how the board falls. The Bears still need help along the defensive line and at left tackle. One would imagine those take priority in the 1st round. That said, the board can fall in any number of ways. If things line up, the team could put a talented youngster next to Bryant. That would suddenly make the Bears’ secondary more exciting than ever.

Ben Johnson is a perfectionist. We know this. It became crystal clear mere months into his first year as the Chicago Bears‘ head coach. This isn’t a bad thing. You’ll often find that some of the greatest coaches in NFL history were perfectionists. However, it can be a double-edged sword at times. Such relentless, high demands from the coach at all times can be exhausting for players. It is why Bill Belichick and Don Shula had high turnover on their rosters. However, it isn’t just restricted to players. Such coaches are often just as hard on their staffs.

One thing about Johnson is that he’s his own worst critic. He is the first to say he made mistakes when they happen. However, just because he is willing to take the hits in public doesn’t mean others are suddenly off the hook. The Bears head coach admitted this past week that he had lingering frustration with his offensive coaches over some of the execution last season. Namely, it was the constant inability to get primary receivers open more often, which was part of why Caleb Williams struggled to find a rhythm at times.

“I’m actually not very happy with us as an offensive staff, our ability to get the primary receiver open. I don’t think it happened at a high enough clip, and so we have to do a better job in our game-planning process. And I put a lot of that on myself of making sure that we are doing that.”

The data backs up what Ben Johnson is saying.

A good way to tell if a team is effective at consistently getting the primary read open is how often the quarterback throws to it. In this instance, you’ll find some unsurprising names leading the way. Trevor Lawrence led the way with 74.9% of his passes going to the primary read. Dak Prescott was third at 68.7%, Baker Mayfield, Joe Burrow, Matthew Stafford, and Aaron Rodgers were also near the top. Williams was dead last in the NFL at 54.5%. Interestingly, Patrick Mahomes, Lamar Jackson, and Josh Allen are the four names in front of him.

This suggests that weakness at wide receiver contributes to the problem. Kansas City has had issues at the position ever since Tyreek Hill was traded. Baltimore has some good weapons but no true difference-makers. The same was true in Buffalo. It probably also has something to do with all of those quarterbacks being natural scramblers. If their primary read isn’t clearly open, they will hold the ball and buy some time to seek alternatives. Johnson likely feels the only way to simmer that down is by getting the primary guy open more often.

The weird thing is, this issue doesn’t seem to faze championship QBs.

Sam Darnold was right near the middle of the pack in first-read throws. Jalen Hurts was 21st in 2024. Patrick Mahomes was 25th in 2023 and 31st in 2022. The last quarterback to crack the top 10 in this metric was Matthew Stafford in 2021. That might explain why Ben Johnson is focused on the metric. He worked with Stafford for two years in Detroit, developing a deep admiration for the future Hall of Famer. Then Jared Goff stepped in and also did well throwing to the primary option.

It feels less like the Bears’ head coach is stuck on an unnecessary issue and more trying to find ways to teach Williams to stay in the pocket more often. While the scrambling ability is an unbelievable tool, long NFL careers don’t happen with such an approach. One must learn to play primarily from the pocket. Johnson likely feels that won’t happen until he and the offensive staff do a better job of freeing up the first read more often.

So far, the bulk of the Chicago Bears‘ resources have gone towards shoring up the defense. Their three biggest contracts in free agency were all on that side of the ball. Most fans and media believe that trend will continue in the NFL draft, with most of their early selections going towards it as well. Yet there is still one glaring concern on the offensive side. They don’t have a left tackle. Ozzy Trapilo, their planned long-term solution, tore his patellar tendon and could miss all of 2026. The options they have don’t inspire much confidence, at least not from the way Bears general manager Ryan Poles spoke about it.

He put his usual optimistic spin on the team’s situation, insisting they are focused on the best player available in the 1st round on April 23rd. However, one comment stood out when discussing the left tackle situation.

“Anywhere, anytime you feel like you got it all together, it takes one thing to set it off,” Poles said. “We’re just trying to find the best solutions as possible. So when you throw Braxton [Jones], you throw Jedrick [Wills Jr.], Theo, Kiran [Amegadjjie], you have a lot of guys and there’s some uncertainty because no one’s played at a high level within the last 12 months. But we’re going to continue to find the best way to put the best five out there.”

Braxton Jones struggled a lot last season before ending the year on Injured Reserve, never looking fully recovered from the leg injury suffered in 2024. Jedrick Wills missed most of 2024 and all of 2025 with a knee injury. Theo Benedet was a liability in pass protection during his stint as a starter last year. Kiran Amegadjie can’t stay healthy. You’re starting to see the concern. When you have four possible left tackles, you have no left tackles.

Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson might be approaching that “screw it” moment.

That is to say, they’re realizing that the best option they have to potentially solve this problem is by targeting a left tackle in the 1st round. It is similar to what happened in 2021. The Bears were staring down a competition between Andy Dalton and Nick Foles at quarterback that year. Head coach Matt Nagy and GM Ryan Pace knew that wasn’t something that gave them good odds of elevating the team in the long term and probably wouldn’t save their jobs. So they traded up in the 1st round to grab Justin Fields. They also did something similar in 2016 with Leonard Floyd, as injuries kept hampering their edge rushers.

Current projections indicate the Bears could have some intriguing options on the board at #25. Caleb Lomu of Utah has the right mix of size and athleticism, having started two years at left tackle. He’s also polished in most parts of his game. Kadyn Proctor of Alabama is a behemoth who overwhelms defenders with his massive 352 lbs frame, long arms, and excessive power. Max Iheanachor of Arizona State is a late-bloomer who is still new to football, but is progressing rapidly and has a similar build, temperament, and skill set to Darnell Wright.

How the board falls will be key.

It is a safe assumption at this stage that Ryan Poles and Johnson have a short list of players they want in the 1st round. There will absolutely be an offensive tackle on that list. What we don’t know is who that tackle is. Options like Francis Mauigoa, Spencer Fano, and Monroe Freeling are expected to be long gone before they’re on the clock. It may come down to whether anybody else goes as well. If the tackle position is hit with a run early, we’ve seen the Bears choose not to press the issue and shift their focus elsewhere. It happened last year at running back.

The warning signs are unmistakable. Chicago has been obsessing over left tackle since last spring. Johnson constantly tweaked the position all year, looking for somebody to step up. Trapilo finally started to down the stretch, then got hurt. It was a brutal setback. Now the Bears have an uneviable choice. Either they opt for a stop-gap option in hopes Trapilo returns to full strength next year, or they swing for the long-term solution early in this draft. Based on the breadcrumbs, it’s leaning towards the latter.

Most draft experts have zeroed in on edge rushers as the likely target for the Chicago Bears in the 1st round of the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. That isn’t surprising. While the team made additions at safety, defensive tackle, linebacker, and cornerback, they didn’t do anything at edge rusher. In fact, they suffered two notable losses to their depth with Dominique Robinson and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka departing in free agency. Bears general manager Ryan Poles has said he won’t let need dictate what the team does with that 25th overall pick, but that hasn’t stopped people from penciling in a pass rusher for them. The most popular names include Zion Young of Missouri, Keldrick Faulk of Auburn, and T.J. Parker of Clemson.

So let’s just assume this is the direction it goes. The obvious question becomes, who do they target? Plenty of teams in the 24 picks ahead of Chicago could take an edge rusher. Estimates hover around at least four or five going in that range. Though the class is reportedly the deepest in this draft, it might create a dilemma for the Bears. With the best options likely gone, they will have to be careful about whichever player they select. Bob McGinn of Go Long spoke to several NFL scouts about the top names who could be available.

The likeliest target among Zion Young, Keldric Faulk, and T.J. Parker?

We must remember this decision will be funneled through defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. His preferences for edge rushers have been made clear for years. He likes bigger defensive ends with power and length. This helps them to hold the edges against the run while still being threats as pass rushers. Think Cameron Jordan and Montez Sweat. This is why mock drafts always seem to involve the same three names: Young, Faulk, and Parker. Each has the size, length, and power Allen would covet. So who do the Bears prioritize? Here is what the scout had to say.

Zion Young

• Missouri
• 6’6″
• 262 lbs
• 33-inch arms
• 22-years-old

“Young is a pretty player,” one scout said. “He has the look of an NFL player when he steps on the field. My main concern is his production against the best competition. He occasionally has reps where he relies on his length and athleticism thinking ‘I will win,’ followed by many reps where he doesn’t know, or understand, how to get past a blocker. The same things happened at the Senior Bowl. In the one-on-one’s, he had some success but, overall, there were not enough impactful plays.”

Keldrick Faulk

• Auburn
• 6’6″
• 276 lbs
• 34-inch arms
• 20-years-old

“I wasn’t crazy about him but he’ll be late first or second round,” a second scout said. “I just thought he was a tweener. Not really an edge guy and not really an inside guy. He doesn’t really win on the edge as a rusher. Best thing he does is rush inside because he’s long and very quick. He can beat a guard on the pass rush, but in the run game he plays really high. He’s just not a natural defensive tackle inside. I worry about him. He is a great athlete and he’s got great makeup.”

T.J. Parker

• Clemson
• 6’4″
• 263 lbs
• 33-inch arms
• 21-years-old

“They changed defensive coordinators and he didn’t have the freedom to go rush and it probably impacted his year,” said a second scout. Parker and his fiancé, former Clemson volleyball player Azyah Dailey, were married in late October during the team’s bye week. “He didn’t have great production this year but I liked his tape,” a second scout said. “He’s got quickness and power. Plays with a lot of energy. He’s physical. He’s an end-of-the-first-round type.”

Each player gets his share of praise. Young has the confidence and dimensions, but couldn’t back it up with consistent production. Faulk is a prototype you’d draw up in the lab, but he never really mastered the edge-rush position and seemed to wilt under more responsibility. They also wonder if he has the killer instinct. Based on the comments, it sounds like Parker is the one to look at. He has all the necessary traits, a red-hot motor, and the kind of physical playing style that would fit this Bears coaching staff like a glove.

The Bears brass has done nothing to suggest EDGE is the priority.

If anything, Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have downplayed the idea since meeting with the media this week in Arizona. They’ve insisted time and again that they will be focused on taking the best player. Need will not dictate their decision. They already proved they would do this last year when they took a tight end in the 1st round despite having clear needs at left tackle and edge rusher. It worked out pretty well. It doesn’t sound like they’re optimistic that any of the edge options will be great at #25 this year.

Still, if it does end up going that way, the top experts inside the league seem to think Parker carries the least risk. While he may never be a star, he has the tools and makeup of somebody who will have a long, productive career. A trio of him, Sweat, and Austin Booker would definitely be an intriguing combination. Whether it comes to that remains uncertain. The draft is always unpredictable. Don’t be shocked if the Bears do something none of us are ready for.

Pinpointing the Chicago Bears‘ target in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft is difficult. A big part of the problem is how far back they’re sitting. Being towards the bottom of the 1st round at #25 overall makes it almost impossible to project who will be available when they go on the clock. It involves a lot of guesswork. As we’ve seen many times in the draft, there will be big surprises. So rather than focus endlessly on that, it might be best to look at this from the Bears’ point of view.

It felt like there was a significant shift in the team’s priorities during the 2025 draft, no doubt created by the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson and his staff. So perhaps the best thing to do was to go back and look at the class to see if there was an underlying trait that connected each player. That can be difficult since so many different positions were addressed. However, after digging into their scouting reports, one prominent word kept emerging every time you read about them.

Polish.

The Chicago Bears want players who already know what they’re doing

The term “pro-ready” gets thrown around a lot. In truth most draft prospects aren’t actually pro-ready. That said, there is a select group of them who are further along in understanding the intricacies of the position they play compared to others. These are guys who won’t require extensive coaching to better learn their craft before gettin an opportunity to play. The odds of said player being productive go up if it’s apparent he understands his responsibilities. You saw that show up for every Bears pick in the 1st and 2nd rounds last year.

Colston Loveland

“Capable of running the entire route tree over all three levels. Wins quickly versus press and eludes redirects in space to keep patterns on time. Good feel for leveraging defenders out of the break point. Able to snap off speed cuts at crisp angles to separate.”

Luther Burden

“Stacks, tracks and adjusts to deep balls like an outfielder. Operates with sudden, well-timed hands. Plucks throws cleanly and away from his frame.”

Ozzy Trapilo

“Attention to the B-gap makes him hard to beat on twists. Accurate hands and good arm extension keep rusher out of his chest. Stays connected at the top of the rush with balance and hand resets. Able to uncoil his lower half and access a firm anchor when challenged. Accurate hands, good positioning and sturdy base on kick-out blocks.”

Shemar Turner

“Power and leverage to punch and tilt blocker at the point. Neverending series of slaps and counters during his rush. Works to find rush openings with active hands and feet.”

As you can see, the trend is pretty consistent. Each player had varying levels of athletic gifts, as is often the case with early and later draft picks. Even so, it is apparent that the Bears targeted all of them, in part, because they had clearly shown a respect and passion for the game by working on their fundamentals and technique. In retrospect, that shouldn’t be a big surprise, given that the head coach has the most personnel authority in the organization. Johnson doesn’t want to build guys up from scratch.

This knowledge may help pinpoint actual Chicago Bears targets.

Remember, it isn’t about the biggest names. Loveland wasn’t. He’d been overshadowed by Tyler Warren for months going into last year’s draft. It is about fit. Johnson wants a polished player who is a good athlete and loves football. After searching through several potential prospects that could be available at #25, here are five names that popped out. All of them have similar assessments regarding their overall game that mirror what the 2025 class had said about them last April.

Caleb Lomu (OT, Utah)

“Activates hands with good quickness in both phases. Core strength to keep from having his pads rattled on contact. Pass sets with good posture, rarely ducking head and leaning. Uses different punch approaches and times them well to maximize his length. Shows ability to gather and control rushers with strong grip. Sifts through games/blitzes and responds with no panic.”

Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)

“Able to play every receiver spot on the field. Plays with ideal suddenness and cut quickness underneath.
Routes are smooth and manipulative to induce leverage. Stems routes suddenly, leaving man coverage temporarily stranded. Digs hard on posts to gain ground before looking for the ball.”

Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)

“Uses leverage to pierce gaps and disrupt play design. Excellent run-game recognition from early in the snap. Fights to maintain run fits against wide zone blocking schemes. Plays around blocks with his eyes to locate and track ball-carriers. Makes accurate shed choices to defend both gaps.”

Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF)

“Rarely repeats rush sequencing or entry angles in a series. Easy to lose count of his go-to moves and counters. Explosive take-offs matched by explosive close-outs. Sudden feet allow him to bounce inside quickly against over-sets. Bypasses protection with a flurry of deft hand usage.”

Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina)

“Can stall tight ends and big slot receivers from press. Rangy zone cover man with good vision and anticipation. Closes quickly and lands a heavy blow on receivers after the catch. Swallows receiver with long arms and full wrap when making a tackle.”

The draft is always unpredictable. Certain players go way earlier and way later than expected. There is also the chance that the Chicago Bears decided to move up or down the board. That would change the possible list of names they could be looking at. However, as things stand, if they stay at #25, these five players exhibit the right mix of athleticism and polish that this team seems to covet. They might not be the hottest names going around lately, but neither were the guys Chicago drafted last year. That still worked out pretty well.