Favorite Positions for Bears at No. 25 in 2026 NFL Draft
With significant departures, the Bears eye defensive talent. Edge rusher or defensive lineman emerges as the top draft priority, aiming to bolster a struggling pass rush and run defense.
The Chicago Bears are in a unique position after the season they had in 2025. In what many fans considered a magical season , the Bears had numerous fourth-quarter comebacks and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams knocked the Bears out of the postseason with a heartbreaking overtime loss.
Chicago then shifted its focus to the offseason and the big-time decisions that needed to be made about its key players. Starters such as Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, Drew Dalman, Tremaine Edmunds and D. J.
Moore are no longer with the team. Byard reunited with Mike Vrabel at the New England Patriots, while Brisker is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, going back to the state where he grew up. Edmunds and Moore were cap casualties.
Edmunds was released to free up $15 million, while Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a second-round pick, giving the team another $16. 5 million. Drew Dalman also announced his retirement before free agency, which gave the team $10 million in cap space with his salary being forfeited.