The Chicago Bears have some obvious roster holes. The pass rush has been discussed ad nauseam since the season ended. Same with bettering the run defense. Actually, improving all three levels of the defense has been on most fans’ minds this offseason.
The Bears signed a safety, a linebacker, and a defensive tackle in free agency to various amounts of decent money, while also bolstering some depth of the defense with lower cap hits. The Bears also threw some resources at left tackle while Ozzy Trapilo rehabs and added another wideout for Ben Johnson’s offense. But there’s still work to be done in the 2026 NFL Draft.
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Defensive end and defensive tackle have been popular mock draft options for Chicago. Offensive tackle had been picking up steam lately based on the Bears’ Top 30 visits.
NFL.com recently wrote up the one goal each NFC team must nail in the draft, and their take for the Bears is that it’s safety first.
Continuing to foster Caleb Williams’ growth is obviously paramount, so I nearly suggested that the Bears’ biggest draft goal is obtaining Ozzy Trapilo insurance. But even if the left tackle’s serious knee injury bleeds into next season, Chicago did re-sign Braxton Jones, who started 44 games on the blind side over the past four seasons. Meanwhile, the pass rush definitely could use more juice, but the most pressing need on that side of the ball is at safety. The Bears lost their top four players at the position in free agency, and while they signed Coby Bryant to a lucrative deal, the other safety spot remains a huge question mark. And Chicago’s first-round pick, at No. 25 overall, comes right in a range where a coveted safety prospect like Dillon Thieneman or Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could be available.
Nothing would surprise me at this point for Chicago at 25, including a trade.
Even though Trapillo may never be back where he was, I do think all the left tackle visits are more about due diligence than anything else. If one blows them away, then sure, get him, but with the roster’s current makeup, the defense needs more attention.
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Defensive line at 25 makes sense, but there are so many guys with similar value, so they could get the same type of player in the second round.
If Oregon’s Dillon Thieneman is there at 25, he’d be a no-doubt-about-it day one starter. I also like Toledo’s Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, but Thieneman provides more speed and versatility.
If the Bears don’t get a safety in round one, they definitely need to come away from day two with one.
Right now, the safety depth chart is Coby Bryant and either Elijah Hicks or Cam Lewis as the starters, with Gervarrius Owens as a reserve. Lewis (5’9”, 183) feels like a jack of all trades reserve rather than a starter, so they need more talent at the position.
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A couple of the corners on the roster have safety traits, but the real world isn’t Madden. It takes practice to change positions in the NFL, and the only cornerback on the roster who has reportedly cross-trained at safety for Chicago is starting nickel Kyler Gordon. He was getting some reps there last offseason as coordinator Dennis Allen wanted to get him used to playing anywhere in the secondary.
What is the number one goal you want the Bears to achieve in the draft?