The Chicago Bears are a better football team after the 2025 NFL Draft. However, their roster is far from complete. Even with all the hype new head coach Ben Johnson has brought, this is still a franchise coming off of a 5-12 record and on a playoff drought since 2020.
The free agency market doesn’t look how it did at the beginning of the legal tampering window. However, many more names will soon become available as teams trim down to their 53-man roster. The Bears will undoubtedly be checking the wire to see what kind of opportunities open up for them.
While specific players will need to be figured out, it’s clear what positions Chicago must target. Following the draft, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune is expecting the Bears to target running back, safety and defensive end.
“An awful lot of hand-wringing is going on over the depth chart at edge, running back (as detailed above) and safety,” Biggs wrote. “It’s April. NFL rosters are always fluid and we’ve already seen a handful of teams release players after the draft. More will become available and I’d bet top dollar the Bears are keeping an eye on the situation while tweaking their short lists at every position.”
“Trust me when I tell you they’re keeping closer tabs on this than you and I are,” Biggs continued. “I’d keep running back, safety and defensive end on the radar as positions where they might consider an addition.”
Chicago Bears must bolster out roster
Of those three positions, the need at running back is the most glaring. The Bears were heavily projected to land a running back early in the 2025 NFL Draft, but didn’t actually secure a runner until the seventh-round. As things stand, D’Andre Swift is one again poised to lead Chicago’s running back room.
His debut with the Bears saw him gain 959 yards and six touchdowns on a career-high 253 carries. However, Swift averaged just 3.8 yards per attempt. Johnson is surely looking for more consistency out of his lead running back. While it’s fair to wonder the type of talent Chicago an acquire at this juncture, it’s no secret that the franchise is still in the market for a running back.
Chicago signed pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract. Coming off of back-to-back 17 quarterback hit campaigns with the Indianapolis Colts, he is expected to bring some extra firepower across the line next to Montez Sweat. But while the pair give the Bears a much stronger defense on paper, Chicago is lacking depth behind them. Former fifth-round pick Austin Booker has tons of potential, but he has minimal experience in the NFL. Adding another proven pass rusher would make the Bears’ defense much scarier.
In terms of safeties, Chicago has their starters for the 2025 season with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. However, both are free agents after the season. Furthermore, Byard is entering his age-32 campaign while Brisker has dealt with serious injuries throughout his career. The Bears seem content to open the year with the duo starting, but sooner or later they must consider the future of the safety position. In the short-term, it wouldn’t hurt to add some extra protection should either get hurt.
At least on paper, the 2025 Bears look much better than the 2024 version. But with even more roster tinkering, Johnson can find his perfect fit for his Windy City debut.
