Why Bears draft needs look far greater than Ryan Poles described

As much as NFL teams like to talk about getting into position so they can simply draft the best player available to them, the simple truth is need most often takes priority.

Only with teams who are perennial playoff contenders is "best available" ever really the chief determiner when they write a name down on the card to send up to Roger Goodell or whoever makes announcements after Round 1.

Definitely, the Bears do not qualify as such and no playoff berth since 2020 attests to this.

Once a team is in contention for a playoff spot every year, they can afford this luxury of best available.

"This really opens the whole (draft) board for us," GM Ryan Poles said after the free agency flurry.

Poles meant they had freed themselves up with their moves to take just about any really good player at No. 10 or in the draft in general.

But really, have they?

With the Bears, a running back to shape Ben Johnson's vision of their offense is a necessity. Another pass rush threat for the rotation is badly needed for the sake of pure numbers, but also because they're currently counting on Austin Booker, Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy to make drastic improvement unless they really do plan on putting Gervon Dexter on the edge for extended periods.

Beyond these positions, possibly a tight end as a third or even secondary threat is a possibility and even a wide receiver later in the draft can't be ruled out.

Then there is the need for offensive line depth. It looks pretty thin now in terms of the talent/experience combination with only Ryan Bates boasting both at guard or center.

Finally, there is one other great driving force for this Bears draft and it does not include a need for this season but is a need nonetheless.

It is simply the need to address the future. It's a need affected greatly by their salary cap situation beyond the 2025 season.

They no longer rate among the teams with the most available cap space for 2026. They're in the bottom half of the league at 17th for available effective cap space at $35.05 million.

It's like they say, $35.05 million just doesn't buy what it used to, or at least they can say this in the NFL.

• Guard Joe Thuney

• Tackle Braxton Jones

• Cornerback Kyler Gordon

• Safety Kevin Byard

• Safety Jaquan Brisker

• Linebacker T.J. Edwards

• Defensive tackle Andrew Billings

Several key backups are in the group, as well, including Bates, defensive tackle Chris Williams and wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus.

When they draft, the need to have someone ready to play at these positions exists and the best way is to take someone now so if those contracts expire without retaining the starter, they have a replacement already who is prepared to go.

Of course it's not a need on a level with one required to make this year's team more viable, like running back or even the depth requirement on the offensive line or pass rusher.

Cornerback

It's not so much outside but in the slot. Gordon didn't get his contract extension yet and there's no denying how expensive cornerbacks, and also slot cornerbacks, have become. Jalen Pitre is a natural safety who moved to play slot cornerback and he just got a three-year deal averaging $13 million a year. If Gordon is truly as good as the Bears think, by waiting on his extension they have only increased the chances he slips through to free agency. Slot cornerback is usually a trained position because in college the better cornerbacks are outside, and then the best of them get to the NFL with some being trained for the slot. Colleges haven't yet reached a point with the passing game emphasis where defenses are taking the highest quality cornerbacks and training them entirely for the slot. There may not be enough slot candidates with sufficient athletic ability to ever think this will happen. So the Bears may need to draft another cornerback with slot traits now if they want to have someone ready to replace Gordon should they lose him.

Tight End

They only signed backup Durham Smythe for one year. The thought of drafting Tyler Warren looks good from the long range standpoint as a result, but also because he provides an extra receiver threat in case one of the starting wide receivers went out. He creates mismatches anyway you slice it. It's why the mock draft choices by Mel Kiper Jr. and Todd McShay of Warren to the Bears look wise.

Safety

The cupboard is full for this year and there are expiration dates on every one of these players so that it will be entirely bare in 2026. There are no starters or key reserves under contract for this position in 2026.

Defensive tackle

While edge is more pressing, the need for the future is tackle because they'll have Billings and Williams out of contract. And Grady Jarrett isn't getting younger.

Linebacker

This is something they solved in free agency with Edwards in 2023, and because linebackers are so poorly paid in the modern NFL they could easily fill a starting spot from free agency again the same way if they determine Edwards isn't getting it done in this scheme. He had a great 2023, a mediocre 2024, but then again linebackers often struggle in a one-gap scheme if the defensive linemen have problems and the Bears' defensive front definitely had problems stopping the run last year. Still, the linebacker position isn't one they can rule out in the draft.