With the 2026 NFL Draft quickly approaching, it's time to answer more questions about what Ryan Poles will do to address this team. It's time to speculate what position group the Bears' general manager could be targeting.
With another week, means another round of Bears questions to answer.
Make sure to read all the content from the NFL's annual league meeting that happened earlier in the week. Everything from the Bears' keeping their options at left tackle open to the Bears' ongoing battle with the NFL about the compensatory picks to a potential Caleb Williams contract extension. We have you covered at Bears Roundtable.
Let's get into today's topic.
What is the One position the Bears are really targeting in the draft? -- @Scottgolfguy76
Simple yet effective.
There's few directions I can easily convince myself to go with for this question, but since I can only chose ONE position that the Bears are targeting, I'm going with ... edge rusher.
Maybe this is the obvious choice, but it's also the most likely. General manager Ryan Poles has added some new faces to this Bears defense in free agency. A starting safety in Coby Bryant, a new inside linebacker with Devin Bush and several interior defensive linemen to name a few.
But the Bears haven't added an edge rusher, and with this class being as deep as it is, the draft presents plenty of options to upgrade the position. Given the variety of edge rushers, the Bears don't have to draft one at pick 25 in the first round.
Of course there could be some intriguing options at that spot. Miami's Akheem Mesidor would give defensive coordinator Dennis Allen a mature and polished pass rusher opposite of Montez Sweat. Clemson's T.J. Parker finished his three seasons for the Tigers with 21.5 sacks. Missouri's Zion Young also has been a favorite from analysts for the Bears' first-round pick. Those are a few options I think the Bears would consider.
The Bears also have two picks in the second round (57 and 60), which could be the sweet spot for the edge rusher position. One player who elevated his draft stock is Illinois' Gabe Jacas. He didn't participate at the NFL Scouting Combine or Illinois' Pro Day because of a hamstring injury, but he put on a show at his private workout, running a 4.69 40-yard dash and registering a 1.59 10-yard split, which would have been tied for second among edge rushers at the combine.
Auburn's Keldric Faulk is another talented pass rusher who will turn 21 in September. Despite his age, he was named a captain his junior season. AT 6-foot-6, 276-pounds he has the ideal frame for Allen's defense. He's someone who might be selected on Day 1 of the draft, but a name to keep an eye on as we get closer to the draft.
One last player who is worth mentioning is Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton. He's an athletic freak who finished his four seasons at Penn State with 23.5 sacks. Dennis-Sutton needs to work on his counter moves and limit playing with elevated pad level, but his 6-foot-6, 256-pound frame would fit in Chicago's defense.
The players I mentioned are only a few of the prospects who fit Allen's scheme and would make sense for the Bears. With all the options, I would shocked if Poles doesn't take an edge rusher within the first two days of the 2026 NFL draft.