Bears’ first defensive depth chart isn't the atrocity it might look like

Much of the immediate feedback from the Chicago Bears' defensive depth chart, ahead of Week 1, has been a look of disgust.

"Really? That's the defense the Bears are rolling with in Week 1?" You might have heard or read that from any average football fan over the past 48 hours.

But, the first depth chart doesn't tell the entire story of the 2026 Chicago Bears defense.

More on that in a minute, but let's take a look at the infamous depth chart real quick.

More context is needed in order to fully react to the initial Bears defensive depth chart

It is easy for casual fans, or non-Bears fans, to react in such a negative manner. But, let's look at a few key spots and I'll try and talk those folks off the edge, shall we?

First up: the defensive line.

The Bears' defensive line is going to feature a whole lot of Jordan van den Berg

Sure, Kentavius Street gets the veteran nod. But let's not pretend as though Jordan van den Berg isn't going to A) play a lot and, B) make far more of an impact than Street.

You can essentially replace Street with van den Berg here because that's what the depth chart will end up looking like when it comes to game days.

Remember, van den Berg made such a strong impression that the Bears went out and traded Gervon Dexter. Sr.

Van den Berg is a quality player and, if all goes well, he'll be a force up front.

Also, up front, we see Dayo Odeyingbo starting. But we're going to see a lot of Austin Booker as well. And the Bears look like they're planning to rotate Odeyingbo inside at times, too, when he's shown flashes.

Dennis Allen is going to shake things up during games. You can count on that. Booker might end up being the better pass rusher than Odeyingbo, but if Dayo makes an impact on the interior for a few snaps each game, that is also something that you can't take away from a simple depth chart.

Devin Bush will be an upgrade over Tremaine Edmunds and it's only a matter of time before everybody agrees

For anyone thinking Devin Bush was a downgrade from Tremaine Edmunds, they're in for a rude awakening. I don't care what type of grade, or from what outlet, you give Edmunds.

The fact is, over the last two seasons I saw, a linebacker who was more often behind a play than ahead of it. He got beaten in coverage on a regular basis. This was not the same guy we saw in Buffalo before signing with the Bears. He looked slow.

"A day late and a dollar short" comes to mind when having watched Edmunds play in Chicago.

Bush was signed because he's quicker and more athletic; far less likely to be left behind on a given play.

The Bears will not miss Tremaine Edmunds. This is not a downgrade.

Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson will be the strength of this Bears secondary

In a way, you could say the Bears are upgrading by getting a fully healthy version of Jaylon Johnson back. Last season, injuries hampered his performance, and he just never really looked like himself consistently.

If you listened to the beat of the team over the past couple of weeks of camp and preseason, you would have consistently heard Johnson's name brought up. Ben Johnson and Dennis Allen both sang his praises and said he looked much better as they closed out camp.

If Johnson is back to that 2023 form, the Bears' cornerback room is already a step ahead of last year.

Then, we have Tyrique Stevenson, who quietly allowed just one touchdown all of 2025. He finished with a career-best in terms of opposing quarterback rating (86.3). He didn't have a choice but to step up last year, and if we're being completely honest, he did just that.

Stevenson had a strong year in 2025 despite some of his occasional missteps.

He takes risks, sure. And sometimes those risks don't pay off. But, we're talking about a cornerback who has had double-digit pass breakups in every season so far.

As he enters a contract year and locks down his position, he's bound to have a career year. Of course, he wants to get paid—and maybe that ends up being in Chicago. But, with a healthy Jaylon Johnson on the other side, there's less pressure on Stevenson and he can continue the momentum he built last year.

And then, of course, there's the nickel situation. Cam Lewis is slotted as the starter which, to be frank, might be better than where the Bears were at last year without Kyler Gordon.

Listen, Gordon isn't coming back. If he does, I'll eat my words. But he won't be back on the field in a Bears uniform, and we need to come to grips with it.

In the grand scheme of things, I think Malik Muhammad will end up taking over that job and excelling in the role. His physicality and length are perfect for Dennis Allen to use in many ways. His tenacity will stand out, especially in that role.

If we don't think Muhammad is an upgrade over a myriad of players who either can't stay healthy or aren't good at the position, we're kidding ourselves. Yes, C.J. Gardner-Johnson was a much-needed addition. But he wasn't in the original plans and only started seven games in 2025.

Assuming Muhammad can be healthy for the year, then I'm also assuming the Bears are better off in this area.

Safety is the wild card Bears fans are hoping turns to gold

Finally, we get to safety. If Coby Bryant didn't get hurt, this isn't even a question.

Kevin Byard had a phenomenal season in 2025. He was rejuvenated.

He also lucked into some takeaways that covered that a slower safety whoa was often behind the play, which highlighted a similarity to how I described Edmunds.

Jaquan Brisker was never dependable, whether we're talking on-field performance or health. Every game, he was out for a pause due to some kindwhile of injury, serious or not. When he made great plays, we loved him. When he made bonehead plays, it was quite the contrary.

Now, we have a veteran presence in Xavier Woods who, by all accounts, looks like a solid starter in Allen's defense. He's the perfect addition to step in when Bryant went down.

And there's the rookie Dillon Thieneman, whose speed and athleticism are far beyond anyone the Bears had starting last year. Assuming health, Thieneman will be an upgrade over both Bears safeties last year.

All in all, this Bears defense is not worse than it was in 2025.

Is this a Super Bowl-caliber defense? Absolutely not.

That's why the Bears will have to rely on their Super Bowl-caliber offense to win games.

Read more: Ozzy Trapilo set to (eventually) save Bears from Braxton Jones

But, for those laughing at the Bears' defensive depth chart and calling it "worse" than a year ago, that couldn't be further from the truth.

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