INDIANAPOLIS — The Chicago Bears’ offensive revolution last season began with a revamped line.

The Bears rebuilt the interior through a couple of trades (guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson) and a free-agent signing (center Drew Dalman). Thuney and Dalman earned Pro Bowl honors, and Thuney was a first-team All-Pro and the NFL Protector of the Year.

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The Bears made modest attempts to do the same for the defensive line, signing Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo and spending a second-round pick on Shemar Turner. But partly due to injuries, a transformation never materialized.

Now the Bears are ready to take another big swing at upgrading the defensive line.

This time, however, luring a big name through free agency or a trade could be costly in terms of salary (they’re more than $4 million over the cap) or draft capital, and the Bears won’t have a top-10 draft pick either.

“I’m not sure how that’s all going to line up now,” general manager Ryan Poles said. “I know from a cap perspective we probably don’t have enough to make all of that work on the defensive line.

“There were some situations (last season), mostly injury, that didn’t allow that to really come together the way it was supposed to. So I look forward to that happening. But we’re also going to have to continue to bring talent in to create competition so that our defense can take the next step.”

Even at the No. 25 slot in the draft, the Bears could find an impact edge rusher or defensive tackle.

“It’s really deep,” NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah said of the defensive line class. “There’s not a Myles Garrett in my opinion, there’s not a Nick Bosa. … But we have three legit top-10 players in this draft and we’ve got depth. I think you can get depth all the way into the fourth round where we’ll see guys making an impact next year.”

The Bears had one of the league’s worst pass rushes last year, so they’re placing a premium on speed.

“We do need to pressure the quarterback in a more consistent clip,” coach Ben Johnson said. “I do think this draft does have some guys that could possibly help us out in that regard.”

Poles said he’s looking for “motor, relentlessness, violence, explosive(ness) — and then I just want to continue to improve our defensive speed.”

Here are three prospects who might be on the Bears’ radar and what they revealed about themselves while speaking to the media at the combine.

Peter Woods, defensive tackle, Clemson

Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods speaks during a news conference at the NFL combine Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Indianapolis. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

1. Woods hadn’t yet met with the Bears, though he had been in 18 meetings with teams by Wednesday.  “One thing about Chicago, I think back to (the) Madden (video game),” he said. “Playing Madden with Jay Cutler and some of those legends — and that can go for any team — but I would say that it’d be a blessing.”

2. Questions and debates about Woods’ arm length probably will dog him up to draft day, yet he said “that’s never really come up” in meetings with teams. “It’s easy to say, ‘His arms are short,’ but what’s on tape is on tape,” Woods said. “One of the best things that I do is getting control of a man who assumingly has longer arms than me and striking him and discarding him. So I don’t really see that as a problem.”

3. Most defensive line prospects say they can play anywhere up front, but versatility really is part of Woods’ game. “I’m a game disrupter,” he said. “I’m the type of guy … that causes offensive coordinators to lose sleep at night planning for me. You don’t really know where I’m going to line up, you don’t know where I’m going to be, but you’ve got to respect it and you’ve got to know where I’m at at all times.” However, Woods said some of his best plays have come from the 4i technique — “the inside shade of the (offensive) tackle.”

Kayden McDonald, defensive tackle, Ohio State

Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald celebrates after recovering a fumble against Illinois on Oct. 11, 2025, in Champaign. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

1. The book on McDonald is that he’s a great run stuffer but might be lacking in pass-rush ability at the next level. He addressed it: “On early downs, I can stop the run. On third downs, I can push the pocket. I’m a complete player.”

2. Most prospects proclaim they’re the best at their position in their draft class, and McDonald is no different. But what makes his case? “I’ll say my preparation,” he said. “Really pride myself on being consistent, competitive, holding my teammates accountable, and I put it all together working on my diet and just staying consistent. Just doing what I’ve got to do.”

3. McDonald follows in the legacy of fellow eye-black aficionado John Randle, the Hall of Fame Minnesota Vikings defensive tackle from the 1990s who turned the face paint into an art form better suited for the set of a “Mad Max” movie than a football field. McDonald recounted his own origin story: “It was a blackout game. We played Penn State. I wanted to try something different, you know? I love football so much. I just wanted to be different. I feel like that prepared me each game. I got better and better, so I’m not going to stop doing that.”

Zion Young, defensive end, Missouri

Missouri’s Zion Young speaks to the media during the NFL combine Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026, in Indianapolis. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

1. Young said he met with the Bears, who are in need of an edge rusher, but they discussed his belief that stopping the run comes first. “Having a privilege to rush the passer is second,” he said. “My power and my energy, my consistency. I’m very serious during practice and it translates to the game.”

2. Wherever Young lands, he’ll probably light up the locker room. He’s something of a character. “I got a chance to be around some great guys (at the combine),” he said. “They found me very loud and funny.” Young added that he’s a high-energy, high-character guy: “I’m always laughing, talking. You hear me before you see me.”

3. Young, a transfer from Michigan State, overlapped with Bears wide receiver Luther Burden III for one season at Missouri, where they were locker mates. “What’s funny is y’all have seen more of Luther than I have seen him,” Young said. “I know he likes to play video games. … He practiced hard, but he’s more so of a game-time player. When he starts to do stuff (on the field), he more so (yells), ‘Aaaaah!’ All types of stuff.”

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/02/26/chicago-bears-defensive-lineman-nfl-combine/