After their Thursday night win over the Patriots, the Bears now sit with a 5-2 record coming out of Week 7. It’s been a great start for them, having overcome the loss of Caleb Williams for a few weeks to remain firmly in the playoff picture in a loaded NFC.
Especially after defeating the reigning AFC champions, the Bears feel like a team with aspirations for a deep playoff run this season. If they truly want to do so, it could make sense for them to pursue a splash move at the trade deadline, which
would likely come on the defensive side of the ball.
Which players could make the most sense for the Bears to acquire, though? Who are some notable players at positions of need who could be dealt before the Nov. 10 trade deadline? Here are five defenders that could make sense for Chicago to pursue in the coming weeks.
DeForest Buckner, DT, Indianapolis Colts
Stylistically, DeForest Buckner doesn’t fit the physical mold that Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen prefers at defensive tackle. Buckner is 6’7”, while none of Chicago’s current defensive tackles are taller than 6’4”. But when you have the chance to acquire one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL from a selling team, you can stand to be more flexible on those measurements.
Going into Week 7, Buckner ranks third in the entire NFL with a 93.3 PFN DT Impact grade. He has 4.0 sacks in six games and ranks second among interior defenders with 14.2 disruption EPA. He’s graded as a top-ten player at his position in six of the last seven seasons, and his elite pass-rushing arsenal and quickness off the snap makes him a three-down threat up the middle. It goes without saying that he’d be a massive upgrade for the Bears’ defensive line.
Estimated trade value: 2027 second-round pick and 2028 third-round pick
Khalil Mack, EDGE, Los Angeles Chargers
What a return it would be for the Bears to trade for Khalil Mack eight years after making him one of their biggest blockbuster acquisitions in franchise history. Obviously, Mack wouldn’t cost nearly as much at 35 years old as he did when Chicago got him from the Raiders at 27. That said, he’s still playing at a high level, ranking No. 18 in the league with an 81.1 PFN EDGE Impact grade.
Through six games this year, Mack has 3.0 sacks and 19 tackles this season. His 13.1 disruption EPA ranks No. 12 among 122 qualified edge rushers, but it’s going largely unnoticed for an 0-6 Chargers team. Given how far behind Los Angeles is this year, the team could look to sell off some assets to embrace the tank and acquire some future draft capital. Given Mack’s age and production, he clearly doesn’t fit the Chargers’ current state, but he’d be a great fit in the Bears’ defensive line rotation.
Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick
Moro Ojomo, DT, Philadelphia Eagles
His production has dipped since his stellar 2025 season, but Moro Ojomo still projects as one of the top defenders with an expiring contract at the end of this season. He had 6.0 sacks last year for the Eagles, and though he hasn’t tallied one yet in 2026, he carries an elite athletic profile and is just 25 years old.
If the Eagles choose to trade Ojomo, they’d likely look to acquire a late third-round pick in the mix, as that’s roughly the compensatory pick they would receive for letting him walk in free agency. By trading him now, they could receive that third-round pick a year early, further accelerating their rebuild. The Bears could use this opportunity to get an immediate upgrade along the defensive line and get ahead of a potential contract extension for one of the top projected free agents in the 2027 offseason.
Estimated trade value: 2027 third-round pick
Riq Woolen, CB, Philadelphia Eagles
Devan Kaney, the newest Bears reporter for FOX Chicago, recently noted three current Eagles players she thought could be good fits for Chicago in a potential trade. This is particularly notable because Kaney previously served as a sideline reporter for the Eagles. In addition to the aforementioned Ojomo, one player who caught my eye was cornerback Riq Woolen, who signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Philadelphia this offseason.
Given the fact that Woolen is only a one-year rental, it would be surprising to see him cost more than a Day 3 draft pick. With a 73.5 PFN CB Impact grade that ranks No. 62 among 102 qualified cornerbacks, he certainly hasn’t been a standout starter this year, but he’s certainly been better than Tyrique Stevenson and Jaylon Johnson, who rank No. 95 and No. 102 in the metric, respectively. It could be worth giving up a Day 3 selection for an upgrade at cornerback for the second half of the season.
Estimated trade value: 2027 fifth-round pick or 2028 fourth-round pick
Jeffery Simmons, DT, Tennessee Titans
Jeffery Simmons is probably the best player on this list, and he also might be the toughest to convince his team to part with. He’s been with the Titans his entire career, and he just signed a three-year extension with them in the 2026 offseason. Tennessee would only free up just over $10 million in 2027 cap space by trading him before the deadline, with the bulk of that financial freedom not coming until 2028 and 2029.
But there’s no denying that Simmons, one of the best defensive tackles in the NFL, doesn’t fit the Titans’ current rebuilding status. They have a 1-5 record to start the season, and they finished with 3-14 records in both 2024 and 2025. It doesn’t seem likely they’ll do much better than that in 2026. Simmons is definitely their best player, as he leads the NFL with a 99.8 PFN DT Impact grade, his 16.4 disruption EPA, and tying for first place among defensive tackles with 4.0 sacks. The Bears would have to give up a lot to acquire Simmons, who’s an elite defender in his physical prime. But it could be worth it to have a true superstar up front, and the Titans certainly need more draft capital to build an actual contender for once.
Estimated trade value: 2027 first-round pick and 2028 first-round pick
