Biggest questions for Chicago Bears defense before 2026 NFL Draft

The Chicago Bears enjoyed plenty of success in the 2025 season, finishing with an 11-6 record, winning the NFC North title, getting to the NFC divisional playoffs, while also beating the Green Bay Packers twice. There was some surprise to the fast success the Chicago had, but most of the credit went to head coach Ben Johnson and how he reintegrated the offense under second-year quarterback Caleb Williams and a rebuilt offensive line, but also the defense was helped by the arrival of veteran respected coordinator, Dennis Allen. The Bears led the league in takeaways last season, but lost three of their most productive players this offseason with linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, safety Kevin Byard, and cornerback Nahshon Wright who all left for new teams in free agency.

Chicago's coaches and front office mentioned that they wanted to get faster, eliminate big plays, and find players who fit their system more this offseason, but their biggest signing on defense thus far has been safety Coby Bryant from the Seattle Seahawks. While the franchise has more to fix on defense than offense, there is no better opportunity for them to address those voids than the 2026 NFL Draft. Here's our look at the top questions for the Bears defense heading into the draft next week.

Will it be safety first? There are three safeties mocked to be selected in the first round, and there's a chance that all three could be gone before the Bears select at the No. 25 pick.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren and Dillon Thieneman are two names who are projected to possibly be on the board, with the top safety Caleb Downs more than likely certainly gone before Chicago selects. With only three safeties on the roster -- and a starting job to be filled -- the Bears can't afford to wait around and may have to test the waters with a potential trade if they feel they will miss out on all three of the top draft prospects at the position. It'll be hard to replace the production lost by the departures of All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker, but they cannot sit on their hands and wait for something to happen.