The Chicago Bears are in a unique position after the season they had in 2025.
In what many fans considered a magical season, the Bears had numerous fourth-quarter comebacks and reached the Divisional Round of the playoffs. The Los Angeles Rams knocked the Bears out of the postseason with a heartbreaking overtime loss.
Chicago then shifted its focus to the offseason and the big-time decisions that needed to be made about its key players.
Starters such as Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, Nahshon Wright, Drew Dalman, Tremaine Edmunds and D.J. Moore are no longer with the team.
Byard reunited with Mike Vrabel at the New England Patriots, while Brisker is now with the Pittsburgh Steelers, going back to the state where he grew up.
Edmunds and Moore were cap casualties. Edmunds was released to free up $15 million, while Moore was traded to the Buffalo Bills for a second-round pick, giving the team another $16.5 million.
Drew Dalman also announced his retirement before free agency, which gave the team $10 million in cap space with his salary being forfeited.
Wright was another unfortunate decision the Bears had to make. He had a great season, but his rising market value made it hard for Chicago to give him another contract.
The top free-agent signings for the Bears were safety Coby Bryant, center Garrett Bradbury and linebacker Devin Bush.
All three addressed needs, but the team can still build through the draft.
Edge rusher or defensive line seems to be the consensus favorite, and DraftKings Sportsbook reflects it.
The Bears' top positions to be taken first in the draft were ranked in order of the best odds. Edge rusher or defensive line (-130) led the way, followed by safety (+275), offensive lineman (+475), cornerback (+700), linebacker (+1300) and receiver (+1600).
Edge rusher makes sense after how inconsistent the pass rush was. Without Montez Sweat, it could've been much worse, but the Bears still ranked 22nd in the NFL in sacks with him.
Defensive line also holds the same level of importance after the Bears allowed the sixth-most rushing yards per game last season.
Although the Bears signed Cam Lewis in free agency, safety is another need that could be addressed. Lewis' problem is that he only started four games for the Bills last season.
The offensive line may be a position Chicago goes with again. This is, of course, regarding left tackle after the late-season injury to Ozzy Trapilo. Braxton Jones and Theo Benedet are on the roster, but it wouldn't hurt to take a player for the future.
At cornerback, the Bears have their starters in position. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson are going to start on the outside, with Kyler Gordon reprising his role at nickel. However, more depth could be helpful after Wright and C.J. Gardner-Johnson departed in free agency.
Linebacker is in a similar boat. Bush, T.J. Edwards, and Noah Sewell are set to start, and D'Marco Jackson is back, but the team could use extra depth there, too, after losing Amen Ogbongbemiga in free agency.
It would be surprising if the Bears took a receiver first, but they could still benefit from taking Ole Miss wideout De'Zhaun Stribling in maybe Day 2 or 3 of the draft. I wrote about how his willingness to block would be a great addition to Ben Johnson's offense.
There are a few more days left, but we'll be hearing the Bears' pick before you know it.