Chicago Bears are putting serious faith in returning players to fix glaring roster flaws after the 2026 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears had a solid weekend during the 2026 NFL Draft but the process was not anything the fanbase expected to see from general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson, leading to some major questions.
The Chicago Bears had quite the interesting weekend during the 2026 NFL Draft and while the team added some exciting new pieces, it was no where close to the haul fans were expecting going into the weekend.
Did the Bears, overall, get better this offseason? That is a strong conversation we should start having. However, I do have full trust in head coach Ben Johnson making the best decisions for the future of this team.
As I said, the Bears added some exciting pieces this weekend that will help elevate this entire roster going into the 2026 season. At the same time, this weekend did not eliminate lingering roster questions that should have fans concerned.
Did the Bears take the right approach with upgrading the defense and overlooking the defensive line?
As expected, the Bears made significant changes on the defensive side of the ball this offseason to give Dennis Allen the right players that fit his system. The overall team speed greatly improved for that unit but the lack of investments on the defensive line is concerning.
The only addition made during the draft was sixth-round pick Jordan van den Berg, who is a freak athlete. In free agency, the Bears kicked around the idea of adding a star like Maxx Crosby or Dexter Lawrence but ultimately only added veteran rotational players in Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch.
That’s not enough for such a disappointing unit. However, it’s clear the Bears believe they can get more out of the returning group this upcoming season.
“At the defensive line position, Book’s coming along with Dayo, Sweat, Shemar. We feel good about those guys,” general manager Ryan Poles explained. “What that group is and what they’re becoming and we feel like there is some developmental upside and with Year 2 in the system, we should be able to take the next step.”
Head coach Ben Johnson, after watching the tape from the 2025 season, felt Chicago struggled more in coverage than rushing the passer. And that’s evident based on the moves the team made this offseason. He also believes improved coaching will help the staff unlock even more from the defensive front than they did last season.
“We’re certainly going to coach better than what we did a year ago,” Johnson explained. “It starts there. We’ve made a concerted effort with how we’re going to get that done… The combination of us being able to coach better and those guys taking the next step as part of this system, we’ve got some pretty good pieces to work with.”
Why did the Bears not add a left tackle to the mix?
Let me start by saying that I was fully against drafting a top offensive tackle in the first-round of the draft. Thankfully, the Bears didn’t go that direction with the 25th overall pick. Even still, is Braxton Jones and Jedrick Will Jr. going to be enough in 2026?
Jones was a quality starter for the Bears over the last few years prior to his injury issues in late 2024 that continued into 2025. Now that he’s healthy, he can finally show the new staff the kind of player he can be.
“I’m excited about where he’s at right now,” Johnson said of Jones. “He came in when he signed the contract and he looked like a brand new man, as far as I’m concerned. This guy was beefed up, he was probably 310 pounds, and he looked yoked up. I know he’s very determined to get his career trajectory back to where it was before.”
As for Wills, the former top draft pick is also looking to get his career back on track after taking a year off from football to get fully healthy again. All he needed was an opportunity to prove himself and the Bears were the ones to finally provide that.
“He’s hungry to prove that he’s capable of being where he was drafted,” Johnson said of Wills.
If things don’t work out with Jones or Wills, the Bears also have Theo Benedet to turn to. The former UDFA started eight games in 2025 and another year in the system will be good for him as well. Time will tell if it’s enough to keep Caleb Williams’ blindside protected until Ozzy Trapilo returns and the Bears can see what they have left in him.
Can Chicago’s secondary prove to be among the league’s best?
Given the inactivity on the defensive line, the Bears are banking on the secondary being among one of the top units in football. And they certainly have the talent to reach that level after revamping the safety position with Coby Bryant and Dillon Thieneman.
The two stars of the secondary are still Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, two players with Pro Bowl potential, as long as they can stay on the field.
“We’re a better team, we’re certainly a better defense, when those two guys are out there,” Johnson said of Johnson and Gordon. “There’s a reason why they’re paid the way they’re paid. We need them out there.”
As for the other outside cornerback spot, the Bears added another rookie to the mix in Malik Muhammad to compete with Tyrique Stevenson and Zah Frazier. After letting Pro Bowl alternate Nahshon Wright walk in free agency, the Bears can’t afford to have that position be a weak link teams can continue to exploit.
Johnson called Bryant a “trained killer” to add to the secondary, but the real X-factor in the secondary is going to be Thieneman, the team’s first-round selection that can be a do-it-all player for this defense.
“From being an offensive guy, it’s rare that you see a safety as a guy who you really worry about,” Johnson said. “It was pretty quickly that you could turn on his tape and realize he is always around the football, he has a knack for the football. He is a great tackler and when he does it, he does it with violence… I really do think he’s going to be a guy – one of those few – one of those rare safety types that coordinators are going to have to account for.”