Heading into their Week 10 bye week, the Bears find themselves with a favorable 7-2 record and a first-place standing in the loaded NFC North. Even with the slight derailment of Caleb Williams missing three games due to injury, they are firmly positioned as one of the top teams in the NFL entering the second half of the season.
Since the Bears don’t play a game this weekend, now is as good of a time as any to look towards the future. I’m not in full mock offseason mode yet, especially since a few
potential cut candidate veterans still have a lot to prove before I feel comfortable projecting who stays and who goes. But for the most part, we know what their biggest strengths and weaknesses will be heading into the 2027 offseason.
I’ll be ranking the Bears’ five biggest needs this offseason are, and I’ll include a few prospects in the 2027 NFL Draft that could be of interest in the second round. Since Chicago traded its first-round pick this year for Jeffery Simmons, highlighting potential Day 2 prospects will make up a lot of our draft coverage in the weeks and months ahead. I’ll include players ranked around the Round 2 range using the PFN Consensus Big Board, and I’ll include my own rankings for each player accordingly.
5. Offensive guard
Guard is much more of a long-term need than a short-term one, as Joe Thuney is the reigning Protector of the Year, and Jonah Jackson is playing at an All-Pro level in 2026. However, Thuney is experiencing slight regression; his 75.8 PFN OL Impact grade is a considerable dip from his 91.1 grade last year. He’ll be turning 34 years old in a few days, and if the Bears do well enough in the playoffs, it’s possible he could look to call it a career.
Obviously, the ideal scenario sees Thuney stick around in Chicago for at least another season. But the team could eventually use a long-term successor to him along its interior offensive line. I wouldn’t expect the Bears to draft a guard early this year, and they have solid depth with the likes of Luke Newman and Jordan McFadden. That said, it’s a position they could address earlier than people expect if the value is right, or if Thuney chooses to retire this offseason.
2027 draft prospects in Round 2:
- Austin Siereveld, Ohio State (Consensus: 45; Infante: 59)
- Cayden Green, Missouri (Consensus: 56; Infante: 58)
- Carter Smith, Indiana (Consensus: 61; Infante: 34)
- Evan Tengesdahl, Cincinnati (Consensus: 85; Infante: 139)
4. Linebacker
Should the Bears let go of T.J. Edwards this offseason, it would free them $8.5 million in cap space in 2027. Among 78 qualified linebackers, his 66.2 PFN LB Impact grade ranks just No. 72 at the position. They could just slide D’Marco Jackson in his place in the starting lineup next year, but there’s also a chance they could draft a linebacker early.
I’d keep an eye on speedier players at the position, as defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has emphasized the importance of speed and mobility on his defense. The 2027 draft lacks the blue-chip talent at linebacker that 2026 had in Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese, but there are a handful of solid Day 2 prospects who could be right up Chicago’s alley.
2027 draft prospects in Round 2:
- Sammy Brown, Clemson (Consensus: 53; Infante: 40)
- Tony Rojas, Penn State (Consensus: 78; Infante: 67)
- Sammy Omosigho, UCLA (Consensus: 124; Infante: 81)
- Rasheem Biles, Texas (Consensus: 183; Infante: 82)
3. Defensive end
All things considered, the Bears’ group of defensive ends has been better than I expected it would be going into 2026. Austin Booker has performed at a high level, Dayo Odeyingbo showed improvement before his injury, and Montez Sweat’s play has gotten better since Chicago traded for Jeffery Simmons. There’s still plenty of long-term uncertainty at the position, however.
The Bears will need cap space to work with in the 2027 offseason, and it’s likely that a big move will be made at defensive end to free some up. Sweat’s release would create $21 million in cap space, while Odeyingbo’s release would free up $15 million. It’s unlikely they choose to cut both, but one of them could end up as a cap casualty. At that point, Chicago would need a new edge rusher to pair with the likes of Booker, Shemar Turner, and whichever veteran they choose to keep around. Luckily for them, the 2027 draft is deep with high-floor, powerful edge rushers who fit the physical mold that Allen historically prefers in his hand-in-the-dirt defensive ends.
2027 draft prospects in Round 2:
- Will Heldt, Clemson (Consensus: 54; Infante: 53)
- Clev Lubin, Louisville (Consensus: 55; Infante: 66)
- Kenyatta Jackson Jr., Ohio State (Consensus: 72; Infante: 78)
- Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon (Consensus: 75; Infante: 64)
- Jordan Ross, LSU (Consensus: 80; Infante: 73)
2. Defensive tackle
The addition of Jeffery Simmons has had a massive impact on the Bears’ defense, and part of why the team was willing to give up two first-round picks for him was the fact that he recently signed an extension with the Titans. As a result, Chicago can hold onto him through 2030. His presence definitely helps the interior defensive line, but that group is otherwise pretty thin.
Grady Jarrett projects as a cap casualty with the $13.5 million the Bears would free up by releasing him. Elsewhere, they don’t have a proven long-term option at the position outside of Simmons. The likes of Neville Gallimore, Jordan van den Berg, and Jayden Loving could end up as decent depth pieces, but none of them have proven to be starting-caliber players in the NFL (at least not yet, in the case of the latter two). Adding another interior defensive force should be a priority for the Bears, and there happen to be several defensive tackle prospects I like in the Day 2 range of this 2027 draft class, even though they’ll be missing out on some of the first-round talent.
2027 draft prospects in Round 2:
- Tavion Gadson, Kentucky (Consensus: 46; Infante: 68)
- Ahmad Moten, Miami (FL) (Consensus: 47; Infante: 18)
- Justin Scott, Miami (FL) (Consensus: 49; Infante: 44)
- Bear Alexander, Oregon (Consensus: 57; Infante: 109)
- A.J. Holmes Jr., Texas Tech (Consensus: 74; Infante: 32)
1. Cornerback
This season has been very exciting for the Bears so far, but the biggest disappointment with this team in 2026 has to be the cornerback room. Malik Muhammad has surpassed expectations as a fourth-round rookie, and Kyler Gordon’s return in the slot has been valuable, but Chicago has otherwise faced rocky play at the position along the perimeter.
Jaylon Johnson had a pick-six and shut down the Buccaneers’ offense last Sunday night, but he’s played poorly for most of the season. It’s possible the Simmons addition can help turn his season around, but with the $16 million the Bears would free up by releasing him, Johnson remains on the bubble. Tyrique Stevenson is also an impending free agent, and much like Chicago’s many secondary free agents from the 2026 offseason, it feels unlikely that the team extends him. We’ll see which cornerback prospects actually declare for the 2027 draft, but there’s a lot of good value late in Round 2 or early in Round 3 based on my current evaluations.
2027 draft prospects in Round 2:
- Vicari Swain, South Carolina (Consensus: 50; Infante: 99)
- Audavion Collins, Penn State (Consensus: 51; Infante: 48)
- Jalen Mayo, Houston (Consensus: 65; Infante: 77)
- Andrew Marshall, Nebraska (Consensus: 50; Infante: 49)
- Zabien Brown, Alabama (Consensus: 82; Infante: 69)
- DJ McKinney, Notre Dame (Consensus: 87; Infante: 70)
