LAKE FOREST, Ill. (104.3 The Score) — A year ago at this time, the Bears were counting on defensive linemen like Montez Sweat, Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner and Austin Booker to lead their defensive front. With the majority of this 2026 offseason completed, that remains the case.
The Bears haven't made a high-profile addition to their defensive line this offseason. They were never serious suitors in the sweepstakes for star edge rusher Maxx Crosby, whose originally agreed upon trade from the Raiders to the Ravens fell apart due to concerns over the health of his knee. The Bears signed defensive linemen Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street and James Lynch in free agency, but they're primarily viewed as depth pieces.
Then came this NFL Draft, which was ripe with defensive line options. The Bears made four selections through the first three rounds, but only one of those was on a defensive player – safety Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall. The Bears chose Thieneman over several defensive linemen who were options in that part of the draft. The Bears' lone addition up front on defense in the NFL Draft was Georgia Tech defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, a sixth-round pick.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles stayed true to his belief of selecting the best player available. That meant not forcing picks at a position of need. It also meant the Bears will lean on their incumbent defensive linemen to produce at a higher level in 2026.
“We like what that group is and what they’re becoming, and we feel like there is some developmental upside,” Poles said.
The Bears ranked 22nd in the NFL with 35 sacks in 2025 and were tied for third-worst in the league in allowing 6.0 yards per play. Sweat led the Bears with 10 sacks in 2025, marking the second time in his career that he hit double-digit sacks. Gervon Dexter has shown gradual improvement throughout his career and had six sacks last season. Booker came on strong late in the season after he was hampered by a knee injury. He had 4.5 sacks in 10 games.
But the Bears still need more out of all three of those players. And they certainly need more from Jarrett, who underperformed in the first season of his three-year, $43.5-million deal with Chicago. Jarrett, who will turn 33 on Tuesday, was set back by a knee injury that required a scope early in the season. The Bears are hopeful he'll return to form with good health.
Odeyingbo is coming off a torn Achilles, which he suffered in early November. He's progressing from that injury, and the team believes he's a motivated player as he enters the second season of his three-year, $48-million deal with the Bears.
Beyond his health, the concern surrounding Odeyingbo is that he struggled to consistently produce before his serious injury. He has logged just 17.5 sacks in 69 career NFL games, including only one sack in eight games in 2025.
Given his lucrative contract, Odeyingbo will face great pressure to perform this season.
Then there’s Turner, who suffered a torn ACL in a late October. A second-round pick in 2025, Turner hasn't yet had the opportunity to develop into the type of player that the Bears envisioned.
Turner arrived to the Bears after recovering from a stress fracture in his leg. He then rolled his ankle on the first day of training camp and was sidelined for much of the preseason. Turner was a healthy scratch in the first two games of the season while getting up to speed.
This has to be an offseason of development for Turner after he missed his chance to grow as a rookie.
For the Bears to be more disruptive on defense, they need breakthroughs from their key returning players up front. There are plenty of candidates who could rise to the challenge.
Without a major addition to the defensive line this offseason, the Bears are certainly counting on improvement from within.
Chris Emma covers the Bears and the Chicago sports scene for 104.3 The Score.
