The Seattle Seahawks built a Super Bowl juggernaut with staying power, around a physical running game and swarming defense, but the Chicago Bears might be about to punch back.
Seattle’s power running game, behind the duo of Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet opened up so much of what Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and A.J. Barner were able to accomplish in the passing game. The Seahawks, as well as Saquon Barkley and the Philadelphia Eagles, Christian McCaffrey and the San Francisco 49ers, and Josh Jacobs and the Green Bay Packers could all factor into the Bears’ bid to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl in the years ahead.
General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears have some major decisions to make this offseason, especially on defense, but few priorities rank higher on the list than fortifying the front seven and gearing up to be better against the run next fall.
Chicago Bears linked to Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald
Over at Pro Football Focus, analyst Gordon McGuinness released his latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft projection, with the Bears emerging with Ohio State defensive lineman Kayden McDonald at No. 25 overall.
“McDonald may never be an elite pass rusher,” McGuinness writes. “But he’s so good against the run that I’m not sure it matters. He earned a 91.2 PFF run-defense grade in 2025, and with run-heavy formations on the rise again in the NFL, it’s never a bad idea to draft an elite 326-pound run defender.”
At 6-foot-3 and 326 pounds, is more than a space eater, as he produced a career-high 65 total tackles last season in Columbus, with three sacks, two forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery, as a disruptive force in opposing backfields.
Adding McDonald would be a huge tactical addition for Poles, coordinator Dennis Allen, and the Bears’ defense, given the types of schemes Chicago is going to have to navigate through in the postseason in the years ahead.
Chicago Bears can’t afford to lose this top free agent
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