The 2026 NFL Draft did enough damage for the Chicago Bears to believe their roster got better, but also helped in putting some players on notice.
One position group that saw a lot of turnover was at defensive tackle, with the bench pretty much being almost completely different. The Bears added Neville Gallimore, James Lynch, and Kentavius Street to the roster through free agency.
There is particular interest in Street as he is a veteran, but might already be on the bubble in his first season with the Bears. Chicago selected a defensive tackle in the draft with a sixth-round pick, Georgia Tech tackle Jordan van den Berg, which might not be good news for Street.
Kentavius Street might never take the field with Jordan van den Berg there
Street has played a lot of football in his NFL career, with 85 games to his resume. That experience led him to racking up 125 tackles, 24 tackles for loss, 17 quarterback hits, 10.5 sacks, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Even with that experience, he now faces a young player in Berg who might end up being better than some expect. He was second in the nation last year with 11 tackles for loss and was selected twice as an All-ACC team selection in his college career.
The Bears are loaded at defensive tackle with Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett starting for the team. 2025 second-round pick Shemar Turner will be back after tearing his ACL, which cost him most of last year.
That leaves questions about Gallimore, Lynch, Street, and Berg. It feels as though Gallimore's being on a two-year contract gives him a slight advantage over the rest to play. Berg might get some help with the roster since he's a rookie, and the Bears would like to develop him.
Read more: Bears' projected depth chart ahead of all-important 2026 season
If Street can't beat out Lynch for a roster spot, there's a strong chance that Street will be a free agent again, looking for a new job.
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