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Bears Left Off PFF Breakout Team, but the Real Story Is Even Better for Chicago

The Bears were left off PFF's breakout team, but that's a good thing. It may prove Chicago's young core is developing faster than the rest of the NFC North in 2026.
Gene Chamberlain|
Tight end Colston Loveland runs onto the field before the final 2025 Bears regular-season game against Detroit.
Tight end Colston Loveland runs onto the field before the final 2025 Bears regular-season game against Detroit. | David Banks-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

For years the lack of developing Bears draft picks led to two questions about the franchise's coaching staffs and peronnel department.

Under former GM Ryan Pace, no one from his final draft class of 2021 had their Bears rookie contract extended. It happened a few other times, too.

When they finally had someone worth extending, like David Montgomery and Roquan Smith, they were allowed to leave under GM Ryan Poles or were traded as non-system fits. Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson got theirs, but other starters were deemed not worth keeping for the long term.

It all seemed to change under Poles but initially, the number of homegrown talents making breakthroughs and then going on to highly productive careers stayed low until Darnell Wright became an All-Pro. Perhaps Gervon Dexter can join the developing group.

Trends changed rapidly for the Bears

The Bears just didn't seem to get enough breakout players from draft classes, and a first glance at Pro Football Focus' recently released All-Breakout Team for 2026 makes it appear as if they're continuing to struggle.

Not one single Bears player made this team at their position as someone in Year 2 who is likely to break out. What makes matters worse for the Bears is how Green Bay, Detroit and Minnesota all have players on the team, seemingly poised for something much bigger this season. Packers receiver Matthew Golden, Vikings edge rusher Dallas Turner, and Lions defensive tackle Tyleik Williams each landed spots on this group of second-year players poised for big things after showing talent as rookies.

It would seem the Bears' are destined to plod along signing free agents to help prop up failed draft classes, poor personnel judges and coaching staffs who don't develop players, if you took this list at face value.

It's always best to read the fine print, though.

In his article on the 2026 All-Breakout Team, PFFs' Bradley Locker points out that the Bears had a very good player who broke through last year in Year 2, and that PFF had predicted it with quarterback Caleb Williams as the signal caller for the 2025 team. Williams obviously became the Iceman in Year 2. His accuracy can be better, but his big-play and comeback ability would be impossible to ignore.

Within the story is fine print further certifying the ability of Poles and Ben Johnson's coaching staff to work together toward a common goal of bringing in and developing players perfectly suited for use in this offense and defense.

"Note: Any player that has earned at least a 75.0 overall (PFF) season grade was ineligible or this exercise — disqualifying the likes of Jihaad Campbell, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland."

In other words, Burden and Loveland were so good as rookies they already had their breakout years and are way out ahead of the curve.

Every team hopes to have rookie classes with players who make immediate impacts with breakthroughs early.

In fact, left tackle Ozzy Trapilo might have been a candidate for this year if he hadn't suffered a patellar tendon injury.

And running back Kyle Monangai wasn't mentioned anywhere, but as a ball carrier last year he hit the 75.0 grade mark with a 75.8, which should indicate rookie breakout. His pass blocking (29.2) and receiving (44.4) held him back, though, and  also Ashton Jeanty is the running back PFF deemed as ready for a breakthrough in 2026. He seemed to have that all in one game against the Bears last year with 138 rushing yards, 17 receiving and three total touchdowns, but the rest of his year wasn’t as great.

Productive draft classes so early in careers say proper selection and rapid development are occurring even without spots on so-called "breakout teams."

The Bears would be so fortunate to attain anywhere near the same success level with the 2026 class that they had in 2025 and even 2024, considering Austin Booker, Tory Taylor and Rome Oduzne all look like worthwhile picks from that year.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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