With key offensive needs addressed, a Bears insider reveals why a defensive cornerstone is the likely first-round draft choice.
The Chicago Bears didn't have the most perfect free-agent spending spree, but they still addressed many of the holes on the roster.
Two of the biggest needs were at safety and linebacker, and General Manager Ryan Poles added experienced players to fill them.
He brought in former Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush, who will reprise the role that Tremaine Edmunds previously held as the coverage linebacker.
Edmunds was released by the team ahead of free agency, but Bush will be a solid replacement.
Then, with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker leaving the team in free agency, it was apparent that a starting safety was of the highest importance. Poles signed former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant to a three-year, $40 million deal.
Even with those positions taken care of, the Bears' roster still has many missing pieces as the 2026 NFL Draft approaches.
The team would really benefit from adding another edge rusher capable of starting on the opposite side of the defensive line from Montez Sweat and another safety to start alongside Bryant in the secondary.
A recent mock draft from Fox Sports' Joel Klatt had the Bears going with a receiver in the first round, but The Chicago Tribune's Brad Biggs was sure that the team was going with a defensive player at No. 25.
Biggs appeared on 104.3 The Score and believed that the 2026 NFL Draft would be the first time that the Bears would draft a defensive player since Roquan Smith in 2018.
"I'm feeling pretty confident that it's gonna be a pick that's made on the defensive side of the ball," Biggs said. "Some people have wondered about left tackle. I don't think that's gonna happen. The Bears haven't used a first-round draft pick on a defensive player since Roquan Smith was taken No. 8 in 2018, and then in the last two drafts, the top three picks by Ryan Poles were offensive players."
The move definitely makes sense now that the Bears have their weapons on offense to surround Caleb Williams. The receiving corps has defined roles, and the backfield features D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai to help soften up defenses and allow Williams to pass more effectively.
This is a great sign of how much this team has improved under Poles. They now have the luxury of using their first-round pick in the draft on a defensive player, given how good the offense has been.
The question is, do the Bears go with an edge rusher or maybe a defensive tackle? Poles has been on record talking about how deep the edge rusher class is.
It'll all come down to April.