Bears don't need first-round pick to land stellar EDGE who checks all the boxes

The Chicago Bears' needs are obvious to everyone.

They mostly need edge rusher and safety, and the odds of them hitting both spots with their first two picks seem pretty high. If the Bears pass on an edge in round one, Dani Dennis-Sutton from Penn State may be the best name to watch on Day 2.

Will the Chicago Bears target Dani Dennis-Sutton in the 2026 NFL draft?

Jordan Reid of ESPN went through every team and picked out a prospect who could fall out of the first round but would be a good fit for that team. For the Bears, the selection was Dani Dennis-Sutton.

"Well-put-together edge rusher, Dennis-Sutton is a versatile prospect who checks a lot of the boxes for a Dennis Allen-led defense. His strength against the run and his traits as a pass rusher fit the scheme and provide a boost at a position of need. "
Jordan Reid

This fit could not be more perfect. Dennis-Sutton is not a first-round pick because he did not flash high-end traits or bend on tape. He was productive as a pass rusher, but recorded hustle sacks and leaned on some pass-rushing moves to get the job done.

However, at the NFL Combine, he showed he has the athletic potential; it just hasn't been unleashed yet. The most impressive stat of all may be his three-cone, which was under seven seconds. This is highly impressive for his size and shows he can bend the corner and change direction. This means that the untapped potential of his pass-rush game is very high.

Dennis-Sutton already comes in as a solid run defender with a solid arsenal of skills, so once the athletic potential shines, he will be a gem in this draft.

If Chicago goes safety, which has become trendy, they will need someone like this to fall in line with them. There is a real chance that Dennis-Sutton would start across from Montez Sweat in the first year. Will the Bears be able to pull this off and knock down both needs in the first two rounds?