The Chicago Bears' defense is not exactly in the best spot after being one of the weaker units in the NFL last season.
When looking at the overall view of the defense, there are many talented individuals who just need to come together as a unit, with some help from the bench. Sports Illustrated writer Gilberto Manzano ranked the Bears higher among the NFL's defensive triplets, putting them at 19, while using Montez Sweat, T.J. Edwards, and Jaylon Johnson as their big three.
"Maybe this ranking is too generous for a Bears defense that allowed 361.8 yards and 24.4 points per game last year. Still, this is a talented trio that did gain some help at safety with the signing of Coby Bryant and the first-round selection of Dillon Thieneman.
Sweat, who might be Chicago’s only reliable playmaker on the front, recorded 10 sacks last season. Johnson needs a bounce-back season after appearing in only seven games due to injury. And Edwards will be needed to do more now that Tremaine Edmunds is with the Giants."
Bears' 19th ranking is high with some big problems still at hand
The yards and points allowed last year are one reason to think about how this Bears team made the playoffs with this defense. Thanks to the offense being in the top 10, they survived some tough games and won a postseason game.
Sweat is a great pass rusher, but he can't do it all by himself, as defensive tackle Gervon Dexter was second on the team in sacks with six. That's a major concern for a team that had only 33 sacks as a unit.
Edwards being named as the top linebacker on the Bears is probably correct, but it's also a big concern after he had an up-and-down season in Chicago. He might be playing his final season with the team, as they could get younger at linebacker in the next year or so.
The secondary really depends on whether Johnson and Kyler Gordon can stay healthy, as Gordon continues to struggle through injuries while Johnson looks to be fully back. While they've locked up the safety positions for the future, cornerback remains a big concern for the Bears.
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There are a lot of problems with this Bears defense heading into the 2026 season, and they need them to play better to catch up to the Super Bowl-caliber offense.