6 edge rushers the Bears should target in the 2026 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears are preparing for the 2026 NFL Draft, where edge rusher is sure to be a focal point to overhaul the roster. The Bears had just 35 sacks as a team last season, 40 in 2024, and 30 in 2023. The production has been inconsistent, and even when general manager Ryan Poles traded for Montez Sweat, it sure bolstered the production, but it hasn’t been enough.

Chicago saw positive growth from their former fifth-round draft pick Austin Booker. After starting the season on injured reserve, Booker finished the season with 4. 5 sacks, 35 tackles, and five tackles for loss, leaving a lot of room for growth coming into his third season.

The Bears also had just eight games of Dayo Odeyingbo after he tore his Achilles tendon in Week 8 against the Cincinnati Bengals. He still has two years left of his initial three-year deal and Chicago is looking to see more production from him as well. Not addressing edge rusher in free agency or in the trade market for high-end guys like Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson, Poles elected to keep the draft capital the Bears currently have, and by the looks of it, are looking to address the edge rusher position via the draft.

Here are six suitable prospects that the Bears could potentially select come late April. Zion Young, Missouri  Measurables : 6-foot-6, 263-pounds As I said in my first mock draft, Zion Young is a guy the Bears would love to draft with their first pick. With 33-inch arms and a fiery competitiveness, Young is the standard size of an edge rusher who has power, knows how to attack based on blocking schemes, and can counter tackles with an inside move.