More and more NFL draft analysts are pegging the Chicago Bears as candidates for one of the best interior defensive linemen or safeties in the 2026 class via the team’s first-round pick in April, which clears a path to an edge-rusher procured in free agency.
Three such players landed inside the top 10 free agents of the offseason based on a list provided by ESPN’s Matt Bowen. But first in the rankings is Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
“Hendrickson is a relentless defender off the edge, with a deep toolbox of counters and a knack for making plays late in the down,” Bowen wrote on Wednesday, January 28. “In seven games this season, he had four sacks. His 17.5 sacks and 65 pressures in 2024 were league highs. Hendrickson would immediately upgrade just about any team’s defensive line.”
Chicago’s D-line is in serious need of an upgrade after the defense as a unit finished with a total of 35 sacks last season and was 31st in pass-rush win rate at slightly less than 29 percent.
Trey Hendrickson Can Fit Bears’ Championship Timeline on Short-Term Deal
GettyCincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson.
The Bears don’t need to go wild in free agency to improve the defense, but creating more pressure on the quarterback has to be a top priority for the team heading into the offseason after it revamped the O-line and pass-catching group last spring.
Hendrickson, a four-time consecutive Pro Bowler before injuries robbed him of 10 games last season, has been most frequently linked to the Baltimore Ravens within the AFC North Division. However, his salary projection could render him suitable for the Bears’ championship timeline depending on the length of a new deal.
Spotrac predicts Hendrickson will ink a two-year contract for approximately $51 million total, or roughly $25.5 million annually. Previous projections from other sources tend to land in the same range of annual average salary, though some have the 31-year-old signing a three-year contract.
Two or three years total doesn’t much matter where a young Chicago team is concerned, as the Bears have most of their top skill players on rookie-scale deals for the next two or three seasons anyway (Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III).
If Chicago signs Hendrickson to a three-year contract worth $75 million but guarantees only two-thirds of it, the outcome is essentially the same with team optionality in Year 3.
Jaelan Phillips, Odafe Oweh Options for Bears in Free Agency if Trey Hendrickson Signs Elsewhere
GettyPhiladelphia Eagles edge-rusher Jaelan Phillips.
If Hendrickson can get a better deal elsewhere, the Bears will still have quality options to add an edge-rusher in free agency.
Bowen ranks Jaelan Phillips of the Philadelphia Eagles as the No. 5 free agent, regardless of position. Meanwhile, Odafe Oweh of the Los Angeles Chargers ranks 9th overall on the list.
Again, paying a big-time pass-rusher in March may not be necessary depending on Chicago’s projections/plans for the draft in April. Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Media, for instance, projects that five edge-rushers will come off the board before the Bears pick at No. 25.
Thus, Jeremiah believes Chicago will draft safety Dillon Thieneman out of Oregon, as the secondary could also grow dangerously thin once the new league year officially arrives in March.
“The Bears figure to be in the safety market with the contracts expiring for Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker and C.J. Gardner-Johnson,” Jeremiah wrote. “Thieneman can play both safety spots and could cover in the slot if needed.”
Meanwhile, Bucky Brooks of NFL.com predicted Thursday that Chicago will select defensive tackle Kayden McDaniel out of Ohio State.
“Beefing up the interior will help coordinator Dennis Allen improve a porous run defense that ranked 29th in rushing yards allowed per carry (5.0) in 2025,” Brooks wrote. “McDonald’s disruptive presence as a supersized defensive tackle could quickly help the Bears solve their biggest defensive problem.”
Path Opening for Bears to Land Top-Ranked Free Agent/$50 Million DE