Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have the same mindset when it comes to targeting the best player available, regardless of need and position, with the 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.

“Philosophically that’s something Ben (Johnson) and I are aligned on, it’s best player available,” Poles explained. “I think where we can get in trouble, we start forcing things because of need. I think that is when we can start having issues. Take the best player available. Obviously, if there are three guys that are aligned in terms of the value that we see, we may prioritize them based on needs, but if someone is standing out higher in that group of guys that we are looking at No. 25, we’ll take the best player.”

Going BPA is a smart strategy and one that worked out well for the Bears last year when the team drafted tight end Colston Loveland and wide receiver Luther Burden III with their first two selections.

However, fans are going to be disappointed if the Bears end up passing on a top edge rusher again in the first-round and target another position instead, depending on what the team’s draft board looks like.

Passing on a first-round edge rusher could come back to bite the Bears

With Poles and Johnson both aligned on the BPA approach, any position is on the table with the 25th overall pick (outside of QB, of course). Saying the Bears pass on a top edge rusher, it could be a decision that comes back to bite the Bears.

At the NFL Combine, Poles noted that he believes the EDGE position is deep in this class, an early sign that the Bears might wait out targeting the position. At the time, it seemed like the Bears could find a solid EDGE defender with one of their two second-round picks such as Malachi Lawrence or Gabe Jacas. Since then, the stock for both players has been skyrocketing, potentially jumping them into first-round consideration.

It’s going to be a big gap between 25 and Chicago’s next pick at 57. In the latest simulation I ran on the A to Z Sports Mock Draft Simulator, the following edge rushers came off the board between picks 25 and 57 (and it’s worth noting that both Lawrence and Keldric Faulk were selected before the 25th overall pick).

• T.J. Parker – 30
• Akheem Mesidor – 33
• Cashius Howell – 35
• Zion Young – 39
• Gabe Jacas – 45
• R Mason Thomas – 47

Granted this was just one simulation, it shows how easy the run on edge rushers can happen. When the 57th overall pick came up, I was left looking at guys such as Derrick Moore, LT Overton, and Dani Dennis-Sutton. All players I wouldn’t consider BPA at 57.

The real question is, how big of a need do the Bears truly believe DE is going into the 2026 NFL Draft?

Based on everything Poles has said between the NFL Combine and the NFL Annual Meeting, it seems like he’s not too keen on forcing a top edge rusher and he really wants to give Dayo Odeyingbo and Shemar Turner a real chance to prove themselves.

The entire building is also really high on 2024 fifth-round pick Austin Booker, who showed some promising work on tape last season.

You combine that with what Ben Johnson said about the struggles with the coverage being more glaring than the team‘s lack of pass rush, it leads me to believe that the Bears aren’t overly concerned about landing a top pass rusher. But, that doesn’t mean they won’t land one later in the draft.

Another thing worth noting is that only one edge rusher has been confirmed to meet with the Bears on a 30-visit in Indiana’s Mikail Kamara, a projected fourth-round pick. Multiple draft experts agree with Poles that this is a deep EDGE class. So, don’t be surprised if the Bears take advantage of that and wait out adding to the position.

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