Windy City Gridiron
The Chicago Bears made massive strides in 2025, but last year is last year, and they’re turning the page to a new chapter. To have sustained success, they’ll need several players to break out, so here are my top 5 who I believe will.
Picks 10-6 can be found here!
5. WR Rome Odunze
Despite some less-than-ideal moments early in the season for Odunze, he was well on his way to his first 1,000-yard season and potentially 10-plus receiving touchdowns. Injuries happen in the game, and the third-year receiver deserves plenty of credit for trying to play through a stress fracture in his foot. That said, the production has tailed off, leading many to wonder whether he is capable of reaching his pre-draft ceiling.
All the concerns aside, there’s never going to be a better opportunity than what’s in front of him heading into 2026. Not only does Odunze have the chance to be the “featured” weapon in this offense, but he goes into the year as their primary X-receiver on the outside. While Burden (who we will cover later) is flashier and more explosive, the combination of Odunze and Colston Loveland could feed this offense all season.
The talent is there, and the size is clear. Drops and lack of success on 50/50 balls are the big concerns coming out of last season, but playing through that painful of an injury isn’t easy. 2026 should be the year Odunze proves why he was taken No. 9 overall.
4. DE Austin Booker
Contrary to what many believed the team would target during the offseason, no impact edge rushers have been added to the roster for the upcoming season. Part of that could be due to how much money they already have tied up in their current group, but the coaching staff continues to be vocal in support of the talent on the depth chart. While Montez Sweat could be considered a top-end DE2, the depth behind him is what is in question.
Dayo Odeyingbo is returning from the second torn Achilles tendon of his career but appears to be on track to be ready for Week 1. That said, the bigger focus is on Booker, who enters Year 3 with plenty of pressure. Despite a strong showing to kick off last preseason, the former fifth-round pick missed the first 7 games of last season with a knee injury. After recording one sack over his first six games, Booker totaled 3.5 sacks over the final four regular-season games, including another in the playoffs. Although his underlying pass-rushing metrics don’t stand out, it stands to reason that Booker could benefit from better depth and a more defined role moving forward.
The team’s pass rush will be an unanswered question until it isn’t, but with Sweat’s rebound year in the books, don’t be surprised to see him drawing more attention than before. If that’s the case and Odeyingbo can be healthy and productive, this will allow Booker to be featured more as a...
