With so many positions that need to be addressed in the 2026 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears have plenty of options to pick from.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has faced some criticism for not being more aggressive at the edge rusher position to start free agency, with the draft looking like the place where it will have to be fixed. Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon shared the biggest question each NFL team has going into the draft, with the same question Bears fans have: Who else on the edge?
"Dayo Odeyingbo was a disappointment even before tearing his Achilles midway through the 2025 season, and the Bears are now left with a big question mark opposite Montez Sweat at one of the most critical positions in the sport. They were apparently in on (Maxx) Crosby last month but are still left searching here in April. They could use the No. 25 pick on a pass-rusher, but a veteran like Joey Bosa or A.J. Epenesa makes sense too."
Will the Bears still address their edge rusher position before the draft?
Chicago has a much bigger problem they have to be solved before the draft: money. The Bears currently have $1 million in cap space, so they will need to figure out how to create that space before the draft comes.
Even if they wanted players like Bosa and Epenesa, the Bears might not be able to afford them. It would be cheaper if they waited for the NFL Draft to find an edge rusher they can develop over the next four to five years and pay them at half the cost of either free agent.
There are still those Bears fans out there holding out hope that they can land a top edge rusher like Crosby. Again, he would end up being too expensive for them and would most likely lead the Bears to lose top players like D'Andre Swift and Cole Kmet to make room for him.
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This is a problem that Bears fans wished they didn't still have, but this was the hand they were dealt with. There is still plenty of great edge rusher talent in the NFL Draft that would have any Bears fans excited about having them on the roster while setting the franchise up for success in the future.