The Chicago Bears will not play any more meaningful football games until September, but there is a great deal to which fans can look forward in the interim.
The first will be free agency, which begins when the new league year does in March. But roughly six weeks after the opening barrage of free-agent signings and probably a handful of meaningful trades across the NFL, the draft will take place in late April.
Chicago’s exact position in that process was unclear until the team lost the final playoff game of the Divisional Round on Sunday night, January 18.
The Bears (11-6) are now locked into the No. 25 spot, which is the highest available for teams that fell in the second round of the postseason. The Buffalo Bills, San Francisco 49ers and Houston Texans all finished 12-5 and will select at Nos. 26-28, respectively.
Chicago owns a total of seven picks in the upcoming draft, including Nos. 25, 57, 89, 129 (via the Los Angeles Rams), 163, 239 (via the Philadelphia Eagles) and 241.
Bears Likely to Focus on Edge-Rusher in Offseason, as Big Pickups in 2025 Failed to Pay Dividends
GettyChicago Bears defensive tackle Grady Jarrett.
The Bears are likely to focus on the defensive side of the football after using the first three selections of Ben Johnson’s tenure as head coach on tight end Colston Loveland (No. 10 overall), wide receiver Luther Burden III (No. 39 overall) and offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo (No. 56 overall) in 2025.
Specifically, Chicago needs help on the defensive front. The pass rush is probably the area of greatest need, as the Bears finished the year with the 29th-ranked defense and tallied just 35 sacks in 17 regular season games while producing among the lowest pass rush win rates in the NFL (31st).
“The Bears’ inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a glaring weakness all season,” according to ESPN. “Despite spending big last free agency on defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (one sack in eight games before a season-ending injury) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (two sacks), the Bears got very little return on investment. The No. 1 focus must be a big swing on an edge rusher in free agency or the draft.”
Bears Predicted to Select DE or DT With First-Round Pick in NFL Draft
GettyClemson defensive end TJ Parker.
Jordan Reid of ESPN suggested a player like defensive end TJ Parker out of Clemson in the first round.
“In Round 1, TJ Parker (Clemson) would fit the prototype of the team’s defensive scheme, as he’s a power rusher who is also an NFL-ready run defender,” Reid wrote Monday.
However, Gordon McGuinness of Pro Football Focus predicted on Monday that Chicago will use the No. 25 pick to select defensive tackle Christen Miller out of Georgia.
“The Bears could benefit from some reinforcements against the run, and Miller should be able to make an impact in that regard from day one,” McGuinness wrote. “He earned a 90.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025. While his 70.0 PFF pass-rush grade is far from bad, he will likely be most valuable in the run game as an NFL player.”
Chicago may look to trade for an edge-rusher like Maxx Crosby or sign a free agent like Jaelan Phillips even if the team drafts a high-end defensive lineman in the first round, given how great the need is on that side of the football.
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