Bears Got a 17th-Place ESPN Lineup Grade and Ben Johnson Should Use It as Fuel for Camp

Chicago went 11-6 and won the NFC North but ESPN ranked them 17th in starting lineups. The Bears are 7 spots behind Green Bay and that gap is hard to justify.

Sep 28, 2025; Paradise, Nevada, USA; A general view of Chicago Bears helmets before the start of the game against Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

We've reached the season-long prediction and roster analysis portion of the offseason. While hope surrounding the Bears is high with them coming off their best season in 15 years, some have questions surrounding the level of talent across the roster.

ESPN ranked each team's starting lineup ahead of the 2026 NFL season, and writers Mike Clay, Aaron Schatz, and Seth Walder believe the defending NFC North champions feature the league's 17th-best starting lineup.

There's no sugarcoating it.. That ranking misses the mark in a few areas.

The Bears are much better than the 17th best team in the league

Jun 9, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) talks with head coach Ben Johnson during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I know the list doesn't take positional value into account, and the Bears thrive in a few areas weighed more heavily (namely, quarterback and head coach) that should allow them to better sustain their success. It's not as disrespectful as a power ranking post would be.

Still, on its surface, the ranking is wrong. The Bears, who are coming off an electric 11-6 season in which they won their first playoff game in 15 years, feature a clear top-half of the league roster.

The list was correct in identifying Chicago's defensive line as their biggest weakness, but their starters there are not enough to justify the low ranking. A few of the teams in front of them have much more glaring roster holes. The front four might be uninspiring, but they still offer more confidence than the Jags' RB and CB rooms, the Bengals' offensive line or linebacker room, or Dallas' weak CB room.

Are the Bears the third-best team in the NFC North?

Feb 4, 2026; San Francisco, CA, USA; A locker room exhibit with the helmets and jerseys of Minnesota Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson (18), Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love (10), Detroit Lions running back Jahmyr Gibbs (0) and Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams (18) at the Super Bowl LX Experience at the Moscone Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears also landed third in the division, as the Lions are the clubhouse leaders at sixth-place and the Packers trailing them at tenth. While all three teams certainly belong in the top half of the rankings (and I'd even be willing to overlook the Lions' poor CB room if you wanted to give them top billing), the Bears should not be seven spots behind the Packers. That's honestly somewhat incomprehensible.

Green Bay's cornerback room instills just about as much confidence as Chicago's defensive line, and their defensive line struggled to get any push after Micah Parsons went down last year. Parsons significantly raises the level of play of their front four, but when factoring in the entire starting lineup, I don't see how they landed as high as they did on the list.

The Bears are not only a clear-cut top-half team in the league, but you could make a strong case that they're closer to one than they are to where they landed. I hope Ben Johnson leverages this one for motivation when training camp kicks off later this month.