The Chicago Bears used the 2026 draft to make seven additions to the roster. While they were able to fill some holes, such as safety and interior offensive line, they decided to pass on drafting an edge rusher.
That comes as a surprise, considering Chicago was tied for 28th in the NFL in team sacks (35) last season. While that's a shocker, edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo walked away from draft weekend with a smile since they didn't add anyone to make his life more difficult in 2026.
Dayo Odeyingbo Is a Big Winner After Bears Draft
Odeyingbo was a big-money free agent in 2025, when he signed a three-year, $48 million deal with Chicago. The Bears believed they were getting a force off the edge that could make an impact, but that wasn't the case. He unfortunately tore his Achilles tendon in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals.
That was a blow, but before going down, Odeyingbo was having trouble getting after the quarterback. In eight games, he had 21 total tackles, 2 TFLs, 4 QB hits, 10 total pressures, 7 QB hurries, and a sack. According to Pro Football Focus, the defender had an overall grade of 53.5 (102nd among 115 graded EDGEs), a pass-rush grade of 57.0 (96th among 115 graded EDGEs), and a run-defense grade of 53.2 (97th among 115 graded EDGEs).
Being in a new system and scheme, Odeyingbo wasn't able to make much of an impact. With him coming off a major injury, it takes time for a player to get their legs back under them, so not adding a player who can step in if needed is risky. Especially since the other top options at edge are Montez Sweat and Austin Booker.
Those two players combined for 14.5 sacks, which led the Bears' edge group. Nonetheless, that wasn't good enough, as having quality pass rushers is a recipe for success in the NFL. It's worth mentioning that Chicago was in the Maxx Crosby sweepstakes and expressed interest. While that didn't translate to a deal, it showed they believed they could have used some more juice on the defensive line.
Somehow, they didn't make any selections at that spot on draft weekend, and as of this writing, they didn't sign any undrafted free agents at edge. It indicates they are comfortable with the collection of guys that they have there, including Odeyingbo.
At this point, with free agency and the draft in the rearview mirror, the Bears' avenues to a meaningful addition to the edge room are limited, which bodes well for Odeyingbo going into the 2026 campaign.
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