Chicago Bears Mailbag: Chuck Pagano, Kareem Hunt and free agency

5. Biggest need

Without a doubt, it’s going to be finding another edge rusher or safety. Aaron Lynch — I have a feeling the Bears won’t be able to bring him back. If this is the case, the Bears will need to dip into free agency during the second wave or draft an edge rusher.

If you take Lynch out of the equation, after Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, the Bears are essentially bone-dry at the edge rusher position. Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts aren’t exactly the most solid depth options.

Edge rusher is the first need, but if the Bears do bring Lynch back, then, I’d say finding a strong safety is the second biggest need the Bears have. If the Bears aren’t able to afford Adrian Amos, then they’ll need to look to Deon Bush or DeAndre Houston-Carson to fill the void.

But even then, the Bears still need to bring in competition to challenge both. Luckily for the Bears, this draft class for Safeties is going to be filled with guys on day three who have some good, but not great upside.

I think the Bears will look hard a Chauncey Gardner-Johnson (Florida), Jaquan Johnson (Miami), Lukas Denis (Boston College), and Johnathan Abram (Mississippi State). I have a feeling maybe three or four of them will be on the board when the Bears pick in the third round.

So as of right now, I see the Safety and Edge Rusher being the biggest needs on the Bears roster, but it all depends on what happens. If the Bears lose Adrian Amos, then safety will be the bigger need, but if they lose Aaron Lynch, then finding an edge rusher is going to be a need.