Chicago Bears' Biggest Remaining Needs Going Into Day 3 of 2026 NFL Draft

After a disappointing Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, here's a look at the needs the Chicago Bears still must address.

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Each and every time the Chicago Bears were on the clock on Day 2 of the 2026 NFL Draft, fans were anticipating a pick on the defensive side of the ball.

It's totally understandable why that was the expectation, as the Bears had obvious needs at several spots.

But, as those picks came and went, the Bears ended up making zero additions to their defense, which was stunning, to say the least.

Instead, the Bears added a third tight end, a center who may not even start in 2026, and a wide receiver who will likely factor in as the No. 4, at best, and possibly a returner.

Blame it on whoever you want, but the Bears failed at addressing their clear priorities on Day 2, which was particularly disappointing with how promising the draft started with the selection or Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

That said, here's a look at the Bears' biggest remaining needs going into Day 3. Bears fans can probably already guess what they are, though.

Edge Rusher

Chicago Bears defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Given the premium on edge rushers, and the team's desperate need for more help, we assumed the Bears would attack this problem early in the draft.

Instead, we're through two days and Chicago hasn't touched the position, which is troubling for several reasons.

The Bears finished tied for the seventh-fewest sacks in the NFL last season and posted the second-worst pass-rush win rate, according to ESPN.

Making matters worse, Chicago remains heavily reliant on Dayo Odeyingbo, who posted just one sack in eight games before tearing his Achilles, and a rotational EDGE in Austin Booker.

Expecting Odeyingbo to be himself in the first year back is a very risky bet, and even if he is, he could very well repeat his disappointing performance from last season.

Depending on a Day 3 edge rusher to make an immediate impact is no doubt a risky proposition, also, but this is the situation the Bears have put themselves in.

We can only hope Chicago has some kind of veteran free-agent signing lined up because that's the team's best hope right now.

Interior Defensive Line

Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat and Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. | Matt Marton-Imagn Images

The Bears gave up the sixth-most rushing yards per game in 2025 and it's quite clear that neither Gervon Dexter nor Grady Jarret are going to be able to improve that after finishing with putrid run defense grades of 44.0 and 44.5, respectively.

The Bears also need more pass-rush juice from the interior, as Dexter was the only player up the middle to tally more than 1.5 sacks last season.

Unfortunately, this wasn't a good year for impact pass-rushers on the inside, but there were plenty of run defenders to be had on Day 2 who could've helped the Bears' run defense.

We'll see if they can find one on Day 3.

Cornerback

Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. | Dan Powers/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the departure of Nahshon Wright, Tyrique Stevenson stands as the favorite to start in 2026. That's a problem because he saw a reduced role for poor play in 2025.

The current competition for Stevenson is not inspiring at all with a group that consists of Zah Frazier and Terell Smith, neither of whom played a single snap last season.

Perhaps the Bears will throw free-agent signing Cam Lewis into the mix, but he has 70 career snaps at cornerback and will probably factor into the depth mix at safety.

Like edge rusher and interior defensive line, there are problems afoot at cornerback, which is bad news for a pass defense that ranked 22nd in 2025.