The Chicago Bears have long been one of the teams expected to look hard at edge rushers in the upcoming 2026 NFL draft. Outside of Montez Sweat, nobody has really emerged as a legitimate presence that offenses must respect. Austin Booker continues to show flashes, but he’s not there yet. Chicago’s pass rush was underwhelming too often last season. That can’t continue. However, they’ve been curiously silent on the lead-up to the draft, including meetings with possible 1st-round options. The only edge rusher they’ve brought in for a visit is Mikail Kamara of Indiana. That finally changed with a report that Missouri defensive Zion Young will be coming in soon.

If you asked which players in this draft class might draw the most attention from Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen as a target for edge rusher, the signs always pointed to Young. We know Allen likes his edge rushers big, long, and powerful. Think Cameron Jordan and Carl Granderson in New Orleans. Few players fit that profile better than Young. He’s 6’6″, 262 lbs, and has 33-inch arms. The dimensions are there, as is the knock-back power and ability to stop the run.

Zion Young appears to be peaking at the right time.

Throughout his first three years of college, he was known mostly as a solid run defender with limited pass rush skill. Things opened up a little for him last season, collecting 6.5 sacks and a whopping 16.5 tackles for a loss. He was much better at finding ways past offensive tackles. The core issue with him is his overall lack of bend and average explosiveness. This isn’t somebody who will consistently beat blockers around the edge. He will overwhelm them with power, violence, and a non-stop motor.

Ironically, a notable comparison for him is Cam Jordan. They have similar body types and play styles. Jordan also wasn’t much of a sack guy in college. He never had more than six in any of his seasons as a starter for Cal. That offers hope that with more polish to his technique, Young will emerge as a much better pass rusher in the pros as Jordan did. His domination at the Senior Bowl offered further evidence that it’s trending in that direction.

There is a noteworthy wrinkle to this.

Last year, the Bears did not draft any of their top 30 visits. That was a significant departure from previous years. Offensive line coach Dan Roushar recently said in an interview that the team now uses those visits to learn more about players they’re not sure about. It is possible they wish to gauge his work ethic and intelligence. Those are the two key factors in determining if his game will reach the next level. Zion Young has the talent, but so have many failed 1st round pass rushers.

It’s the willingness to grind that separates the good ones from everybody else. The Bears might be curious why Young’s game isn’t more polished by this point. Why did it take him so long to have a good season? These are important questions. How Young responds may well determine whether his name gets called at the 25th pick next month.

Right now, the Chicago Bears team brass is business on the scouting trail. College programs across the country are holding their pro days for top prospects heading into the NFL. Bears GM Ryan Poles has popped up at Oklahoma, Miami, and Alabama. His top subordinates, along with members of the coaching staff, have surfaced across the country. They are putting in extra homework to prepare for the draft on April 23rd. One final step in that process will be the team’s local pro day around mid-April.

For those who don’t know, every NFL team holds an invitation-only pro day where they can bring in prospects who played high school or college football near the team’s facility. In the Bears’ case, we’re talking about the entire northeastern section of Illinois, including the city and its surrounding suburbs. Normally, these events aren’t much to write home about. Almost every player who participates in them will be an undrafted free agent. However, some years see an unusual collection of draft-capable talent. Such is the case this year with two notable names set to attend the Bears’ event.

The Chicago Bears are right to have interest in both players.

Coleman is a well-traveled wide receiver who played for three different colleges over the past three years. After leading Mississippi State with 932 yards in 2024, Coleman transferred to Missouri, where he led the team with 732 yards. In both instances, he was the leading target by a wide margin. Draft experts see a quicker-than-fast receiver with naturally good hands and the toughness to make catches in traffic. At 5’10”, 179 lbs, he is undersized for the NFL, but his ability to play in the slot offers immediate appeal. It doesn’t hurt that he also has experience as a punt returner. His strong Senior Bowl helped his draft stock considerably.

Rolder is more of a late-bloomer. He didn’t play much at Michigan until last year. However, when he got his opportunity, he made the most of it. Rolder had 73 tackles, seven tackles for a loss, two sacks, and an interception. People were surprised by his level of instincts and technique, given his experience. He’s a good athlete too, covering ground quickly to make tackles. The primary concern is his lack of coverage skills, which isn’t surprising at this stage.

The local pro day might not be a premium event, but it has served a good purpose in the past. It helped the Bears eventually sign Jack Sanborn a few years ago, who has become a quality linebacker. Cameron Meredith was an emerging wide receiver for the team in the late 2010s before a disastrous knee injury derailed his career. Nobody can say the event is pointless. With a little luck, it can lead to some good players landing on the roster. This year feels like a big opportunity.

Caleb Williams is a very good quarterback on his way to becoming great. That is all that matters to Chicago Bears fans. However, the young player has proven that for all his dedication to the game, he’s also interested in other ventures. There has been evidence for a long time that he wants to get into business ventures after his playing days. Not a surprise since his father is a businessman. To that end, he will need as much capital as possible for the day he retires. One way to get it is to secure merchandise revenue under his Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL).

There is no hotter tag coming out of the 2025 season than the nickname Williams earned thanks to his death-defying 4th quarter comebacks: Iceman. Everybody has seen the celebration, rubbing his arms up and down after winning touchdown passes. People are already making shirts with it. Williams aims to get in on that action, filing trademark applications for the “Iceman” nickname, a logo, and two silhouette shots of him throwing the famous 4th down pass to Rome Odunze against Green Bay. There is just one problem.

Caleb Williams has competition.

Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times discovered that NBA icon George Gervin is preparing to battle the Bears quarterback for the rights to that nickname. After all, he used it first during his playing days in the 1970s and 1980s. Unfortunately, he hadn’t bothered to register the trademark. An oversight his business team is trying to rectify.

“I’ve got nothing but respect for [Williams],” Gervin told the Sun-Times on Wednesday. “He’s already proved greatness and his potential upside is great. Like an ‘Iceman.’ But that name is taken. …

“All I’m saying is: Young fella, we’ve already got one ‘Iceman.’”…

…On March 20, four days after Williams’ application was filed, Gervin Interests LLC filed trademark applications for both “Iceman” and “Iceman 44,” referencing Gervin’s jersey number. Related goods and services include entertainment services and personal appearances by Gervin in addition to T-shirts, hats, shirts, wristbands, sweatshirts and other pieces of apparel. The application notes that Gervin’s “Iceman” nickname was first used by him in commerce in 1979.

Jerald Barisano, president/CEO of Gervin Global Management, said he wrongly believed Gervin’s nickname was already trademarked, owing the confusion to the death of a business associate.

Caleb Williams has every right to pursue the nickname.

Gervin was a 12-time All-Star in his playing days. He’s still considered one of the all-time greatest offensive players in basketball history, winning four scoring titles and averaging over 30 points in a season twice. His number is retired by the San Antonio Spurs. You can’t mention basketball history without his name coming up at some point. The only accomplishment that eluded him was winning a championship. So it’s not hard to see why he feels that “Iceman” nickname belongs to him.

The problem is it’s not up to him to decide. By not going to the patent office to secure it, Gervin left the door open for someone to claim it eventually. He made the mistake of assuming his reputation would always keep people away from it. Caleb Williams, who wasn’t even alive when Gervin retired, likely didn’t know who he was. All he knew was the nickname hadn’t been trademarked, and so he moved quickly to grab it. First-come, first-served, as they say.

Don’t expect a resolution anytime soon.

It will take months for the commission to review the situation. Until that time, you can expect Caleb Williams to continue using the nickname. It certainly won’t stop Bears fans from calling him that. They don’t care what Gervin has to say about it. After what the young quarterback accomplished last year, the nickname is set in stone. Williams is the real Iceman in their eyes. Even if Gervin wins the trademark, it won’t stop people from calling him that. This entire situation isn’t about money for the NBA legend. It’s about legacy. The 73-year-old cares deeply about his, which is fair.

For Williams, it’s a business opportunity. He spent a lot of time building himself up to this point, earning the title through hard work and lots of lumps on the football field. He can’t be criticized for wanting to take advantage. It is what smart business people do. Time will tell who makes the stronger case. Gervin has longevity on his side, while Williams has more notoriety in today’s media sphere. It should be a compelling case.

Everybody is convinced the Chicago Bears are locked in on targeting an edge rusher with their 25th overall pick in the 1st round next month. The organization hasn’t taken one that high since Leonard Floyd in 2016. The team has desperately needed another option opposite Montez Sweat. By all accounts, this draft class is stacked at the position, giving them a great opportunity to find a true difference-maker. However, all of these discussions have glossed over a key factor in all of this: Austin Booker.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reiterated recently that the Bears are much higher on the young defensive end than people realize. It is enough to believe that they aren’t anxious to upset his development. That is why they haven’t signed a prominent free agent, and it could be why they don’t draft an edge rusher in the 1st round.

“If Austin Booker can pick up where he left off at the end of last season, that’s one way for the Bears to be better rushing the passer. We saw him playing at a pretty high level for a little less than half a season. If Booker is healthy and can make a jump from Year 2 to Year 3 like he did from his rookie season to 2025 (once he got healthy), they’ll have an interesting player. Is that a lock to happen? Of course not. But I believe the Bears are optimistic about his career arc.”

The Bears knew Booker would be a project when they drafted him in the 5th round two years ago. It would require patience and work to get him up to speed. Everything was going well last summer. He’d dominated the preseason and looked great in training camp. Then he injured his knee.

Austin Booker quietly saved the Bears defense.

Through the first seven games of the season, all of which he missed with the knee issue, the Bears gave up at least 24 points in four of them. After returning in week nine, the Bears’ defense allowed 24 or more in four of the final ten games. The improvement was pretty clear. While far from perfect, Booker’s addition to the pass rush is starting to force turnovers more regularly and get the team off the field on 3rd down. Chicago actually gave up fewer than 20 points five times. Booker was a major factor in all of it. The numbers don’t lie.

If Booker had played a full season, he would’ve finished with eight sacks and 49 total pressures. That would’ve been the best campaign for a homegrown Bears pass rusher since Mark Anderson way back in 2006. This would explain why the Bears are eager to see what he can do in 2026. They feel he is scratching the surface of something big. Remember, Austin Booker is still only 23 years old. He is coming into his physical prime and is no doubt gaining confidence from how he finished last season.

The Bears don’t feel the need to force the issue.

That is the underlying point of this. If Booker weren’t on the team, there is no question Chicago would’ve signed a veteran two weeks ago and would be locked in on the best possible options in the 1st round. His presence means the Bears are not edge rusher-or-bust at #25. Sure, if a really good player at the position sits on the board, they’ll take him. However, if the best possibilities are picked clean, and they often are that late in the 1st round, they won’t feel conflicted by pivoting to another position.

They need help at defensive tackle, safety, and linebacker. Wide receiver could also be in play after sacrificing D.J. Moore via trade. Their options are open. Beyond all of that, the Bears are taking the right approach. If you want your young players to develop properly, you must let them play. Booker showed enough on tape last season to justify giving him more time. His knee is healthy, and his confidence is ascending. Let it play out rather than trying to force the issue.