Free agency isn’t really over as teams will still make a move or two as they ready their rosters for the NFL Draft next month, but it’s basically over as the big money splashes and trades have all come and gone. There’s still a rumored A.J. Brown trade that could shake things up, and the Maxx Crosby situation is always worth monitoring, but as far as the Chicago Bears go, I think this is essentially the team they plan on taking up to the draft.
There are a few veteran defensive linemen out there that
I wouldn’t mind them bringing in, but that could happen after the draft, too.
These post-free-agency Power Rankings will get a tweak or two before the draft, but for the most part, they’re set, and this is how these “experts” view the league, so let’s see how they view the Bears.
CBS Sports has the Bears at 9 overall.
After center Drew Dalman retired, they traded for Garrett Bradbury to fill that role, which is a downgrade. Left tackle is also a concern. They also didn’t address the pass-rush help they need.
CBS Sports’ Pete Prisco tends to skew negative with his Power Ranking reasoning, but he still had the Bears as a top 10 team.
The Bears are also at 9th, according to the Sporting News.
The Bears were quick to remix their defense with safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush and got some extra draft capital with the Moore trade. They were also quick to replace retiring center Drew Dalman in the deal for Garrett Bradbury. Their solid haul makes them stay on track with winning bigger with Caleb Williams.
The Dalman retirement took everyone by surprise, but the Bears were ready and had contingencies in place. Bradbury may not have been Plan A, but he’s a serviceable veteran who can keep the o-line on track in 2026.
One more 9 ranking, this one from NFL.com.
It’s been a little bit of a mixed bag in free agency so far for the Bears, who have made more noise in recent offseasons. Devin Bush replacing Tremaine Edmunds and Coby Bryant replacing Kevin Byard could end up a wash, or maybe a tiny upgrade. Losing DJ Moore stings, but they got a pretty good trade return for him and have some more ammo, with four picks in the top 89 of the draft. If you factor in a young roster continuing to bloom, it’s possible to see improvement from within, too. I still think they’ll find a way to grab some headlines, either in the draft or before it, but the Bears are being prudent and holding serve well enough for now.
A headline-grabbing move could be defensive end Cameron Jordan, who has enough left in the tank to make an impact. The “improvement from within” factor is something I don’t think some fans are thinking about, as they are more focused on the lack of splashy additions.
Pro Football Focus has the Bears at 15.
The retirement of center Drew Dalman and the trade of D.J. Moore, combined with a deep list of pending free agents on defense, set the stage for a busy offseason in Chicago. Trading for Garrett Bradbury filled the need left by Dalman at center, and the signings of Coby Bryant and Devin Bush addressed the voids on defense left by the departures of Kevin Byard and Tremaine Edmunds.
Despite some of the departures, such as Byard and cornerback Nahshon Wright, directly impacting the Bears’ league-leading takeaway numbers, the new additions should help stabilize a defense that ranked 29th in average yards per play allowed in 2025.
So far, the defense was more of a reshuffling, which isn’t very exciting, but the new players are better fits for what the coaching staff wants.
The Score — no, not Chicago’s radio station, but a national site — has the Bears at 8 overall.
Have the Bears done enough to their roster to advance further after they fell short in the divisional round? Their offense is poised for a solid season with quarterback Caleb Williams and coach Ben Johnson entering their second year together. Trading for center Garrett Bradbury was a necessary response to Drew Dalman’s sudden retirement. Still, the defensive unit is missing a difference-maker up front, and the team’s secondary just lost two Pro Bowlers in Kevin Byard and Nahshon Wright. Chicago is hoping Cam Lewis and Coby Bryant can fill those holes.
Cam Lewis is a depth player and not expected to start at corner in place of Wright, but Bryant is younger and more athletic and was a Bears priority.
Where would you rank the Bears? Is 8 too high? Is 15 too low?
