The Chicago Bears own 7 total picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, three of which are in the first two rounds. Voids have been left on the Bears' depth chart following free agency, and these picks are crucial in finding the necessary replacements. A few offseason departures in particular feel like dire needs to address.
3 Players the Bears Need to Replace Through the NFL Draft
DJ Moore
The main offensive position that feels incomplete on Chicago's depth chart is wide receiver, following the departure of DJ Moore. The good news here is that Moore wasn't lost for nothing, but was rather traded to the Buffalo Bills for a 2nd round pick, giving the Bears another chance to draft a replacement wideout.
Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze will be expected to take on larger workloads, but there are still many question marks behind them. On top of the Moore trade, Chicago also lost wide receivers Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay in free agency. Former Detroit Lion Kalif Raymond was signed shortly after to fill Duvernay's shoes as a returner, and he also comes in with some familiarity in Ben Johnson's system. Jahdae Walker is the only other wideout on the Bears roster who was with the team last season, and while he did show some flashes, it's not a guarantee that he can produce consistently as a starting receiver, making the position a clear need to address within the first 3 rounds of the draft.
Kevin Byard/Jaquan Brisker
The defensive side is where many of the Bears' offseason departures and acquisitions took place. Three starters of the 2025 Chicago secondary have signed elsewhere. Those players were cornerback Nahshon Wright, safety Kevin Byard, and safety Jaquan Brisker. Following their exits, Chicago signed former Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant to fill one of those holes, but the other safety spot still has major question marks. Chicago also signed former Buffalo Bill Cam Lewis, but that was a clear depth signing, and finding someone in the draft to compete for the starting strong safety job is a must.
Nahshon Wright
Wright's departure is not as much of a pressing issue for Chicago, but injury concerns in the Bears' cornerback room could unfortunately bring it to light. Cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson all suffered through injury problems last season, and Kyler Gordon has seemed very prone to injuries during his time in Chicago. The Bears don't necessarily have to use an early pick on a cornerback, as safety is a larger concern at the moment, but the position should be heavily monitored throughout the draft. Securing a day 1 starter at either safety or cornerback is an absolute necessity at this point for Chicago, and Ryan Poles is sure not to overlook that.
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