3 moves Bears must make to fill out roster after 2025 NFL Draft

After a strong free agency window, the Chicago Bears were forced to enter enemy territory for the 2025 NFL Draft, but still left with an impressive batch of new players. With their roster now mostly complete, the Bears are nearly ready to begin organized team activities, commonly referenced as OTAs, and minicamps at the end of the month.

Before the draft began, the Bears stole the show early in the offseason. After hiring Ben Johnson as head coach, general manager Ryan Poles pulled off two huge trades for offensive linemen Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. Chicago subsequently signed former All-Pro defensive tackle Grady Jarrett following his release from the Atlanta Falcons.

The trades for Thuney and Jackson cost the Bears some draft capital, but Chicago still left Green Bay with eight new additions to its roster. Committed to Caleb Williams’ sophomore development under Johnson, Poles spent five of his eight picks on offensive players. The team’s first two picks, Colston Loveland and Luther Burden III, immediately provide Williams with downfield threats he did not have as a rookie.

But even with how well the Bears have done so far in the offseason, the roster is not without its holes. Chicago still lacks depth in some areas on defense while dealing with a surplus of talent in other positions. Before training camps begin, Poles still has a few more moves to make in free agency to round out his team.

Bears need more linebacker depth

Chicago Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds (49) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Returning leading tacklers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, the Bears’ linebacking corps is in good shape entering 2025. But as the Bears shift into a new era with Dennis Allen taking over as defensive coordinator, they lack depth at the position. Historically, Allen’s defenses thrived with All-Pro talent and a deep rotation of tacklers in the second level.

Allen’s adaptable defensive schemes typically rely on a 4-3 base, but Chicago does not have much behind Edmunds and Edwards. Poles appropriately drafted Ruben Hyppolite III in the fourth round, but the options are fairly thin. Hyppolite is a reliable tackler, but he never accrued more than 66 stops in any of his five years at Maryland. Amen Ogbongbemiga, who managed just 13 tackles in 2024, is the only other plausible option.

With Hyppolite not yet ready for a full workload, the Bears need to add veteran help in free agency. Their previous moves leave them without much cap room — only about $10 million in space remaining, per Over the Cap — but the position desperately needs depth. Chicago can try to convince C.J. Mosley to take a significant pay cut, but one of De’Vondre Campbell, Nick Vigil, Kyzir White or Shaq Thompson seems more realistic.

Edmunds and Edwards are both contracted for at least two more years, giving the Bears security at the position for the time being. They will likely need to prioritize the position in the 2026 NFL Draft, but for now, all they need is another veteran on a one-year deal.

Bears must add pass-rushing help

Their 5-12 record does not show it, but the Bears’ defense was one of the league’s better units in 2024. However, pass-rush was not its strength, generating just 40 sacks as a team with no player gathering more than 5.5 on the year.

Chicago returns leading pass-rusher Montez Sweat and pairs him with Dayo Odeyingbo, whom they signed away from the Indianapolis Colts. While experienced, Sweat and Odeyingbo combined for just 8.5 sacks in 2024. Chicago drafted Texas A&M defensive end Shemar Turner in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft, but it can ill-afford another inefficient season.

Pass-rushing is one of the few areas that still has a robust free agency market that the Bears need to capitalize on. Von Miller, Matthew Judon, Za’Darius Smith and Dennis Gardeck headline the list of available veterans who could still offer meaningful contributions to any team. But in Allen’s 4-3 defense, Chicago needs a more traditional defensive end to supplement the interior pressure of Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr.

Jonathan Bullard, Jihad Ward, William Gholston and John Cominsky are all available defensive ends who would fit nicely in the Bears’ current roster. Ward, in particular, has made a career out of producing off the bench in similar systems. Chicago could also potentially seek another trade, with Derrick Hall or Dante Fowler Jr. plausibly on the radar.

Roschon Johnson should be on a new team in 2025

The Bears have already executed a handful of trades in the 2025 offseason, each as a buyer. As teams near OTAs in late May, Chicago should position itself as a seller. After leaving the 2025 NFL Draft with Rutgers star Kyle Monangai, Poles needs to be on the phones looking for a potential deal for Roschon Johnson.

The hard-nosed approach of Monangai has drawn several comparisons to fellow Scarlet Knight Isiah Pacheco. Looking at their collegiate careers, Monangai had the better run in Newark, racking up 2,541 rushing yards in his final two seasons. Even as a seventh-round pick, Monangai should immediately be Chicago’s top short-yardage back in 2025, which was one of Johnson’s main roles in 2024.

Johnson entered the 2024 season hoping to compete with D’Andre Swift but ended up taking a significant step back. He ended his second year with less than half the yards he accrued as a rookie and averaged a horrid 2.7 yards per carry. He reached the end zone six times, but if Monangai supplants him as the goal-line carrier, there is not much in the offense left for Johnson.

Swift also saw a slight dip in his performance in 2024, but finds himself working with Johnson again for the first time since 2022. Swift had his most efficient season under Johnson with the Lions when he posted a career-high 5.5 yards per attempt. Behind an improved offensive line, Swift should be in for a big year, and Monangai is a better complement to his skill set.

Despite his letdown season, Johnson still has value around the league. He ran behind arguably the worst offensive line in his first two years in a constant state of chaos with the uncertainty of the Bears’ offense. Johnson should reach his full potential in another situation, making a trade likely beneficial for both sides.