The Chicago Bears could use another player on the edge of their defense, and Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton could be a target for the team on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears didn't create enough pass rush from their edge rushers during the 2025 NFL season. The same could be said for a handful of the Bears' previous seasons.
Montez Sweat is the headliner with his 10 sacks, and Austin Booker's 4.5 sacks finished as the second-most on the team among edge rushers. Chicago generated 189 total quarterback pressures, 25th fewest in the league.
Another edge rusher must be in the mix for the Bears in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Obviously, a pass rusher could be a possibility in the first round at pick No. 25, but if the Bears feel that their philosophy of best player available doesn't align with a defensive end at that spot, then general manager Ryan Poles won't force the pick.
If that's the case, the Bears' two picks in the second round (No. 57 and 60) would be a likely place to draft an edge rusher. Someone who fits this defense and would provide a boost at the position is Penn State's Dani Dennis-Sutton.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. took Dennis-Sutton with the 57th overall pick in a recent mock draft.
He fits the prototypical size that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen likes in his defensive ends. Dennis-Sutton is 6-foot-5, 256 pounds. He filled up the stat sheet while he was in Happy Valley, Pennsylvania.
In his four seasons at Penn State, Dennis-Sutton finished with 23.5 sacks, seven forced fumbles, 10 passes defensed and 127 total tackles in 55 games played.
Using Dane Brugler's The Beast, here are some of his Dennis-Sutton's strengths and weaknesses.
STRENGTHS
- Strong at point of attack, using physical hands to hold his ground vs. single/double blocks
- When asked why he played in 2025 bowl game, he responded: "I love football ... I don't understand not playing."
- Uses length to jolt chests of blockers and work around outside shoulders
WEAKNESSES
- Upright, straight-line rusher and can be ridden upfield
- Mediocre Explosiveness, which shows off the line and when shedding blocks
- Spin move lacks burst or deceptions
Brugler wrote more in The Beast, but these select few bullet points paint part of the picture for Dennis-Sutton as a prospect.
Dennis-Sutton's combine numbers fit the athletic profile that should be enticing for Chicago's defensive staff. He ran a 4.63 40-yard dash and his 10'11" broad jump ranked first among edge rushers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
The Penn State edge rusher checks a lot of the boxes that the Bears are ideally looking for in a defensive player. Here are Brugler's final thoughts on the Penn State edge.
"Dennis-Sutton will find sack production harder to come by against NFL blocking, but he is a commanding presence and has the size, strength and quickness to be a force player on the edge. He will be more appealing to teams looking for a “high-floor” role player, as opposed to a “high-ceiling” pass rusher."
The Bears could use a high-floor player at defensive end, and just need to add more productive players at that position on this current roster. Dennis-Sutton in the second round would fill a need for the defense and provide depth behind Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin booker.