The Bears had a pleasantly surprising year 1 under rookie head coach Ben Johnson and the team will be expected to take the next step heading into next season. The offense in particular will be expected to now be consistently elite with #1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams heading into year 2 with offensive minded head coach Ben Johnson. The QB play of Williams along with the coaching of Johnson will loom large, but the personnel that the Bears have on offense surrounding the two will also matter quite a bit as well. Here I will go into detail assessing the skill position grouping of the Bears as the 2026 season approaches.
Starting with the wide receiver unit the Bears have a young upcoming unit that could emerge as one of the premier wide receiver rooms in the league next season. 2024 1st rounder Rome Odunze had a forgettable rookie season in 2024 but showed a lot of progress in year 2 in the NFL. Odunze was taken in the top ten during the 2024 draft which is rare for a wide receiver to be taken that high and he had superstar expectations entering the NFL. Odunze in year 2 graded in just the slightly above average range in terms of an overall offense grade among players at his position according to Pro Football Focus, after grading below average in that department in year 1. Odunze headed into year 3 in the NFL which will now be his second with Williams/Johnson will be expected to become a star. His struggles in the NFL have been understandable thus far as he worked with a rookie QB and a worn-out defensive head coach when he was a rookie, while Caleb Williams was also very erratic as a thrower in Odunze’s second season with head coach Ben Johnson still learning on the job. Odunze will now be in line to breakout as a star in year 3 in the NFL in my estimation.
2025 2nd rounder Luther Burden III is second on the depth chart behind Odunze and is coming off a very strong rookie season. Burden III graded in nearly top 20% of wide outs according to Pro Football Focus despite being a rookie, no small feat. Burden III given his high draft selection and very strong rookie play is in line to become a star in the NFL. So far Burden III has been even better than Odunze and he could threaten to take the leading wide out role eventually.
Outside of Odunze and Burden III the Bears have strong depth from a wide receiver standpoint as well to complement the two. The team drafted Zavion Thomas in the 3rd round of the 2026 draft, 2025 undrafted free agent Jahdae Walker had a solid rookie season that he can now build off of, and veteran wide out Kalif Raymond has shown a high ceiling in the NFL although lacking consistency.
At tight end the Bears have one of the premier units in the sport led by 2025 1st rounder Colston Loveland. Loveland was graded as one of the best overall tight ends in the NFL despite being a rookie and could soon enter the discussion for being the best overall tight end in the NFL. While former 2nd rounder Cole Kmet is one of the premier #2 tight ends as of now having a borderline elite ceiling as a player although lacking consistency. The Bears also drafted tight end Sam Roush quite high in the third round of the 2026 draft to add to the unit. As of now I feel comfortable saying that the Bears have the best overall tight end unit in the sport today. Led by a budding superstar in Loveland and two reserve players with an electric ceiling.
The running back room of the Bears is perhaps the biggest weakness of the team entering this upcoming season as the team lacks consistent playmakers as of now. However, the remainder of the team’s offensive personnel, the team’s QB, and the team’s offensive coaching staff is so stout that they might be able to overcome it in a league where running backs are becoming less pertinent.
Former 2nd rounder D’Andre Swift leads the running back unit as of now and is a player with a very high ceiling who however lacks consistency. Swift was among the better collegiate running backs in recent memory and was taken at the top of the second round, high for a running back. Swift in six seasons in the NFL has had his ups and downs grading in the above average range in terms of an overall offense grade only twice, although being well above average to borderline elite both those years, one of which was in 2025 where he was graded as a top ten overall running back according to Pro Football Focus. Swift however has still graded in the below average range in that department more than half the time and has graded poorly in multiple seasons. However, Swift has made a Pro Bowl, and is coming off a career year, and could start to consistently come into his own going into year 2 with Caleb Williams and Ben Johnson.
2025 7th rounder Kyle Monangai is the primary reserve to Swift out of the backfield and is coming off a decent rookie year that he could now build off of. Monangai graded below average in totality among qualified running backs but was graded as a slightly above average runner of the football despite being a rookie. While 2023 4th rounder Roschon Johnson has also shown some potential although lacking consistency. D’Andre Swift is absolutely a high level #1 back when on his A game while the likes of Monangai and Johnson can provide solid depth behind him. If Swift is on his A game and healthy and/or if Monangai in particular takes a big step heading into year 2, the Bears could actually have a solid running back unit in 2026.
The Bears have one of the most talented groupings of skill position players in the NFL heading into 2026 although they have some question marks, in particular the growth of Rome Odunze, and the consistency of D’Andre Swift. A breakdown of the Bears’ skill position players heading into 2026 can be found below.
2026 Notable Bears’ Wide Receivers
WR – Rome Odunze – B- so far, 2024 1st rounder
WR – Luther Burden III – B to B+ so far as 2025 2nd rounder
WR – Zavion Thomas – 2026 3rd rounder
WR – Kalif Raymond – C+ to B-, high ceiling, inconsistent
2026 Notable Bears’ Tight Ends
TE – Colston Loveland – A as rookie in ’25, 2025 1st rounder, one of best rookie tight end seasons ever
TE – Cole Kmet – C+ to B-, borderline elite ceiling, inconsistent
TE – Sam Roush – 2026 3rd rounder
2026 Notable Bears’ Running Backs
HB – D’Andre Swift – C+ to B-, borderline elite ceiling, inconsistent
HB – Kyle Monangai – C to C+ as rookie in 2025, 2025 7th rounder
HB – Roschon Johnson – C to C+
