A lot of Chicago Bears fans are criticizing the team for their approach to the 2026 NFL Draft.
Many fans wanted them to go after a defensive tackle and edge rusher early in the draft, but instead, they selected a safety in the first round, a center in the second round, and a tight end and a wide receiver in the third round. FOX Sports commentator Colin Cowherd defended the Bears and their head coach, Ben Johnson, citing Johnson's success in Year 1 and the type of players they want as reasons for his trust.
"When I look at the Bears, Ben Johnson's vision is how they are drafted and they also drafted high character guys who did not get banged up in college. That also matters to the Bears."
"I look at the Bears, and I think: Yeah, I wish they got a rush end. But the games don't start until after Labor Day."
Colin Cowherd defends Ben Johnson and the Bears on 2026 NFL Draft
Cowherd talked about how the Bears want to run more 13 personnel with three tight ends, which is why their third-round pick, Stanford's Sam Roush, was selected to help add a blocking tight end. The sports host also discussed how this is a strategy that some of today's great coaches, like Sean McVay and Kyle Shanahan, are using in their offenses.
The Bears did the same thing last year, where a tight end was not on fans' radars in the first round, and Chicago took Colston Loveland with the 10th overall pick. That turned out to be a pretty good selection as he led the team in receiving yards and touchdowns.
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Yes, it's disappointing that an edge rusher wasn't selected, since they struggled at the position last year, but there seems to be a formula the Bears are following that is working so far. Johnson deserves the benefit of the doubt, and we should see what he and general manager Ryan Poles do with the team.
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