Power Ranking the Chicago Bears' Projected Defensive Starters by Importance

The Chicago Bears underwent significant turnover on the defensive side of the ball this offseason. However, many of their new additions will probably have to wait their turn before seeing the starting lineup, as they will return eight (projected) defensive starters.

We ranked every starter on offense by how important they are to the team's success earlier this week, and the list was a bit obvious in some aspects. The same cannot be said for the projected defensive starters, though.

The biggest strength of the Bears' defense would probably be their linebacker unit, and that's also the most devalued position group in the modern NFL. That makes for an interesting power ranking in order of importance.

How does the list shake out on the defensive side of the ball?

Key role players not included: Dayo Odeyingbo, D'Marco Jackson, Malik Muhammad, Cam Lewis, Neville Gallimore, Xavier Woods

11. T.J. Edwards

T.J. Edwards on the practice field — Aug 5, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears linebacker T.J. Edwards (53) runs on the field during training camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Make no mistake, the Bears would miss linebacker T.J. Edwards dearly if he were to get hurt. He's far from their worst defensive starter and is a key component to the team's run defense. Still, he plays the most devalued position on defense and also shouldn't play on third downs at this stage of his career.

The fact that Chicago has great depth at the linebacker position also contributes to the fact that Edwards finds himself here. D'Marco Jackson, who will probably play a key role in their base 4-3 defense, held up just fine in Edwards' place last season. Jackson's role could definitely expand in 2026 regardless of Edwards' status, as he showed extremely strong coverage chops last year.

10. Grady Jarrett

Grady Jarrett on the practice field — Jul 31, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Grady Jarrett (50) talks to his teammates during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett provides much-needed veteran leadership to the team's defensive line room. Unfortunately, he looked nothing like the player that went to back-to-back Pro Bowls (at least not the Pro Bowl who we used to know and love) in Atlanta. In fact, he looked like a shell of his former self.

Unlike the linebacker position, the Bears have paper-thin depth at defensive tackle. Jarrett getting hurt would mean Neville Gallimore (and hopefully Jordan van den Berg) would play a much bigger role on gameday. Not exactly ideal. However, the fall-off also isn't significant enough to justify a higher spot on the list.

9. Tyrique Stevenson

Tyrique Stevenson running onto the field — Nov 23, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (29) takes the field prior to a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson is one of the Bears' most interesting players on defense. His flashes have been bright, but they've unfortunately been few and far between over his first three years. If he can finally develop some consistency, then he could go a long way in shoring up their secondary woes. The fact that he's playing for his next contract could be just the motivation he needs to reach his potential.

With that added caveat of Kyler Gordon (already) being hurt, you could make a strong case that Stevenson should be higher on the list. It would be a disaster if he were to miss time at this point. I didn't want to factor that into the equation here, though. Malik Muhammad II is talented and has a boatload of potential for a fourth-round pick, but he's also raw. Growing pains would be expected if he were being relied on to play a key role.

8. Gervon Dexter Sr.

Gervon Dexter celebrating a tackle — Nov 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (99) reacts after a tackle against the New York Giants during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. is in a similar boat to Stevenson. He's shown flashes of dominance as a pass-rusher, but they've come intermittently amid waves of mediocrity. Despite his size and athletic ability, Dexter has also been a relative non-factor against the run for much of his career. That's largely why they were open to moving him during the NFL Scouting Combine.

Like Stevenson, he's also entering the final year of his rookie contract. If he can make the most of it, then the front office would probably have a hard time letting the 24-year-old walk out the door.

If Dexter were to miss time, then Neville Gallimore, Jordan van den Berg, and Kentavius Street would be expected to play a bigger role on the interior. Barring a major jump, their run defense wouldn't be taking much of a hit. Their pass-rush would, though.

7. Devin Bush

Devin Bush tackling Josh Jacobs — Sep 21, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Browns linebacker Devin Bush (30) tackles Green Bay Packers running back Josh Jacobs (8) during the third quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Scott Galvin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Devin Bush is definitely better than a few players ahead of him on this list (at least at this stage of their respective careers). The speedy linebacker will replace Tremaine Edmunds in the middle of Chicago's defense, and you could make a strong case that he'll actually be an improvement despite costing much less than his predecessor.

However, Bush also gets docked a bit on this list due to playing a less vital position than those ahead of him. He's undoubtedly important at helping them become what they want to be on defense, but the defense also wouldn't crumble without him in the lineup. Bush is great in coverage, but so is Jackson. Jack Sabborn is slow as a boulder in coverage, but he could at least hold his own in run support. They might not be ready for a triathlon, but they'd tread water amid Bush's absence.

6. Austin Booker

Austin Booker sacking Joe Flacco — Chicago Bears defensive lineman Austin Booker (94) forces Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Flacco (16) to fumble in the fourth quarter of the NFL football game between Chicago Bears and Cincinnati Bengals at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati on Nov. 2, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Some might be surprised to see Austin Booker this high on the list. The defensive end might not be better than Bush, or more accomplished than any of the other starters on the list to this point. He does play a much more important position than anyone listed thus far, though. In fact, edge rushers are arguably the second-most important position in the sport.

Could you imagine a scenario where Booker were to miss time? Nightmare fuel. Besides Montez Sweat and a highly motivated Dayo Odeyingbo, his projected improvement is really the only reason for optimism when it comes to their defensive line. A double-digit sack season (or something close to it) would quiet all concerns when it comes to their troublesome front.

5. Dillon Thieneman

Dillon Thieneman on the practice field — Jun 11, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman (31) stretches during Minicamp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dillon Thieneman might've stumbled out of the gates to begin training camp.. but the gates haven't even really opened yet. Does anyone remember when Ja'Marr Chase had a serious case of the yips during training camp of his rookie season? Most don't.. because the games start in September.

The Bears are going to heavily rely on the rookie safety, who was unanimously considered one of the biggest first-round steals in the 2026 NFL Draft, to play a key role on gameday. Growing pains are to be expected, but so are impact plays, especially once he gets his feet underneath him. The fact that Chicago doesn't boast strong depth behind him pushed him up a few spots on the list.

4. Coby Bryant

Coby Bryant on the practice field — Jul 31, 2026; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Coby Bryant (2) runs with the ball during Training Camp at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

If you've been paying attention, you'll notice an unfortunate theme with the next two players. The Bears are already down two key members of the secondary, including prized free agent acquisition Coby Bryant. It's still unclear how long the safety will be MIA, but head coach Ben Johnson offered a glimmer of hope that he might not be out of action for as long as originally feared earlier this week.

Bryant gets a slight edge over Thieneman because the coaching staff will probably be putting more on his plate as the veteran in the starting lineup. T he Bears signed Xavier Woods to fill the void for however long he's out of commission. A clear downgrade, but still an upgrade (thanks to his 121 career starts) over their other reserves on the back end.

3. Kyler Gordon

Kyler Gordon in coverage — Jan 10, 2026; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon (6) breaks up a pass to Green Bay Packers wide receiver Jayden Reed (11) during the second half of an NFC Wild Card Round game at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Unfortunately, one of the Bears' best defensive players also happens to be their most injury-prone. At this point, you could make a strong case that Kyler Gordon is one of the most injury-prone players across the entire NFL. At the same time, you could make an equally strong argument that he's one of the league's premier slot corners when healthy, which puts the team in a serious conundrum.

C.J. Gardner-Johnson held his own after Gordon went down last season, but the team lost him in free agency. Gordon is light years ahead of Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, Malik Muhammad II (who spent very little time at nickel in college), and Cam Lewis. The latter is probably the best option to replace him as it stands right now, but he's now dealing with an injury of his own.

2. Jaylon Johnson

Jaylon Johnson running onto the field — Dec 20, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (1) runs onto the field during player introductions before the game against the Green Bay Packers at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Bears are counting on cornerback Jaylon Johnson to bounce back strong after the most disappointing season of his career. He mentioned that he'll be playing for a new contract in 2026 (even though he has two years left on his current deal), so that added motivation could be enough to bring out the best in him.

It's easy to forget that he's one of the league's premier shutdown cover men when healthy, and Johnson can catch the league by surprise if he can put together a full season. If he were to go down, the team would be relying upon Muhammad or Terell Smith (if he can make the active roster despite of a myriad of injury concerns). Not an ideal situation to be in, especially when considering how important Johnson is to the secondary.

1. Montez Sweat

Montez Sweat celebrating a sack — Jan 4, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Bears defensive end Montez Sweat (98) celebrates after a sack against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Everyone talks about how the Bears didn't do enough to improve the front four this offseason.. but can you imagine the defensive line without Montez Sweat? It would take at least five motivated Dayo's to overcome that type of loss.

Sweat might not be the best overall player on defense (Johnson should take back that crown this season), but he's definitely the most important. With a star-studded lineup of Odeyingbo (who will also get plenty of time opposite him), Daniel Hardy, and Jeremiah Martin behind him, that seems like a scenario where they'd clearly need to add another body to the room.

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