Bears assistant GM Jeff King sets the stage for the 2026 NFL Draft with final thoughts on the current roster and Chicago’s draft plans
The Chicago Bears are keeping plans close to the chest going into the 2026 NFL Draft with a few nuggets provided by assistant general manager Jeff King during the team’s pre-draft press conference.
The Chicago Bears are keeping overall plans for the 2026 NFL Draft close to the chest and for good reason given the unpredictability that will occur over the next few days.
On Tuesday, Bears general manager Ryan Poles briefly spoke to the media before handing over the stage to new assistant general manager Jeff King to offer some final thoughts ahead of the action on Thursday night.
King didn’t unveil who Chicago will select, or what position the Bears will target, with the 25th overall pick or any other selection. What he did do is provide some more nuggets about the kind of players the team is looking to add and how the entire staff feels about certain positions on the roster.
Drafting best player available vs. drafting for need, and potential overlap between the two
At the NFL Annual Meeting, Poles and head coach Ben Johnson made it clear that they’re attacking the entire draft with a best player available mindset, not just the first-round.
That means virtually every position is on the table when it comes to the new additions, although there are clear needs at various positions (DL, S, C, etc.). King had the following things to say about the BPA approach and how team needs will be factored in.
“I think it’s based on the sequencing of how we go through it,” King told reporters on Tuesday. “If it’s equal, the need may come into play here or there. But, at the end of the day, you’re not going to go wrong by taking the best football player. I think we all believe that. If it’s somewhat on the same plane, maybe the positions come into play. But, as we see it, we’re going to take the best football player for now and the future.”
Traits the Bears are looking for when narrowing down the perfect prospects
Look, I get it. It’s annoying to hear teams lean into the BPA approach and shying away from team needs when it comes to predicting who they could draft. To me, the uncertainty is what makes the draft exciting.
King did elaborate further on what kind of players the Bears are looking to add the qualities they need to show to fit into that BPA bucket.
“It’s the silent tape,” King added. “I think when you cut on tape, the guys that we probably get excited about the most is you don’t have to read the character. You can see it. You can see how they compete, show up in big games, pick up their teammates, raise the level of their teammates’ game. We can read everything we want, articles, and all of this. But, what players show on tape is usually the product you’re going to get.”
That logic is what led the Bears toward drafting players like Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and Kyle Monangai last year. Talented players that shined the brightest when it came to what showed up on that silent tape.
Status of the positional need at safety following the departures of multiple free agents
Looking at the roster, safety stands out as the biggest need of any position. The Bears lost Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, C.J. Gardner-Johnson and Jonathan Owens at the safety position alone in free agency while only signing Coby Bryant and Cam Lewis.
Chicago could greatly benefit from adding a starting-caliber rookie to the mix early in the draft. However, the team is confident in the pieces currently in the building. The Bears won’t just draft a top safety for the sake of adding a top safety.
“I think Coby provides us with a ton of flexibility and versatility,” King explained. “We can mix and match back there. Cam started the playoff game [against] Denver at safety. Elijah Hicks has started games here. So, do I think that we are in a position to where we can add to the room? Sure, just like any other room. But we feel confident in the guys we have acquired and that we’ve had in the building where, if we had to go play tomorrow, we would.”
Tyrique Stevenson is still a player the team is willing to further develop going into Year 4
As for the outside cornerback position, it’s another spot in which a Pro Bowl player walked in Nahshon Wright. Cornerback lurks as a sneaky position to watch in the first-round and later in the draft to elevate the competition in that room.
Tyrique Stevenson is the top option to start opposite Jaylon Johnson. Stevenson has had a rollercoaster career through his first three seasons in Chicago. Yet, he’s still a player the staff is willing to continue developing.
“Tyrique’s no different than every young player in this league.” King said. “He’s had ups. He’s had his moments of downs. It’s our charge to help him through those. He’s made some great plays. Probably the fumble vs. Dallas changed the trajectory of that game, very early in that game. We’re never going to put a ceiling on a guy’s upside. We’re not gonna put Tyrique in a box and say, ‘You’re gonna be this.’
“He’s still growing, he’s still learning. He’s shown those flashes of being a great player, and we have a lot hope that through this offseason that he’s gonna get there. We saw him in the building yesterday. He looks great. He’s done a really good job this spring of getting in shape.”
