Even with their rapid jump from five wins to a thrilling overtime loss in the Divisional Round, the roster was deeply flawed. The fans recognized those issues and want the organization to remedy them in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Why the Chicago Bears Need Clear Help on Defense
The explosiveness of the offense and one of the most dominant run games helped mask a lot of the issues that plagued the Bears last season. Chief among them was the defense, which was further ravaged by injuries throughout the year.
The defense was opportunistic, leading the league with 33 forced turnovers and 23 interceptions, but the unit was underwhelming overall. Ranking at No. 22 in PFSN’s Defense Impact Metrics, it made every game a battle for the offense.
As a result, almost all of their focus this offseason has been on improving that side of the football. They signed Coby Bryant and Jaylon Jones to improve a woeful secondary before adding help on the defensive front with Devin Bush, Jack Sanborn, James Lynch, and Neville Gallimore.
However, the fan base isn’t satisfied just yet. After adding extra draft compensation from the DJ Moore trade, they now have a pathway to making some great long-term improvements via the draft.
That process begins with their first-round pick at No. 25, which should give them a chance to add an electric prospect in a deep draft class. But for the fan base, their focus needs to remain unchanged from earlier in the summer.
An overwhelming majority of the Bears’ fandom (more than two-thirds) is focused on the defensive front. As a result, the defensive tackle position was far and away the most selected position group at 41.3% on PFSN’s Mock Draft Simulator.
However, the edge position was not far behind, accounting for more than one-fourth of all fan selections at 26.7%. It is clear that the fans trust Johnson and Williams to run the offense, but given their struggles last season, more help on defense is needed.
Diving deeper into the player pool, the most selected player at No. 25 for Chicago is Kayden McDonald from Ohio State. The defensive tackle is seen as the best player at his position in this year’s draft class by PFSN.
That could make a fall highly unlikely, but if they get that opportunity, then the Bears should seize it with both hands. The Ohio State product has unbelievable physical attributes that should serve him well as a double-team magnet and a block-shedder.
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However, not far behind him on the totem pole for Bears fans sits Peter Woods. At 15.5%, he was the second-most selected player for that fan base. These two players make up a major share of the defensive tackle position’s popularity among these fans.
A Clemson product, he is ranked as the third-best defensive tackle prospect in this class by PFSN. He has incredible size, and his combination of hyper-elite explosion, lateral agility, and point-of-attack power could make him a dangerous player for the Chicago defensive line for many years to come.
