The 2026 NFL Draft Has A DT Problem — Why It Forces Ryan Poles Into Dangerous Decision
When listing the top needs for the Chicago Bears going into 2026, defensive tackle is competing with edge rusher and safety for that #1 spot. Andrew Billings and Chris Williams are free agents. Grady Jarrett disappointed last season. Shemar Turner tore his ACL. Gervon Dexter is in the last year of his contract. That group badly needs an infusion of talent. One would think Bears general manager Ryan Poles plans to address it in the upcoming draft this April. There is a big problem with that.
Consensus is growing that the quality of the incoming defensive tackle draft class is not great. There are no clear-cut studs in the group, and the depth isn’t all that great either. Ben Solak of ESPN evaluated every position group in the 2026 class, judging them by top-tier talent and depth. From his assessment, defensive tackle is the second-worst of the lot, only beating out the quarterbacks. This feels like a clear warning to the Bears. If they want one, they may have to get him early or not at all.
10. Defensive tackle
Good year to need … John Franklin-Myers
Bad year to need … an impactful defensive tackle on third down
Can the draft class save the defensive tackle-needy teams? Not really! There is no sure thing along the defensive interior in the 2026 draft class. For those teams already secure with their 2026 starters, there are some high-upside swings, though. Peter Woods (Clemson) entered the 2025 season as one of the top draft prospects overall, and while his stock fell some following a down year, the potential is still clearly there for a game-wrecking 3-technique. Caleb Banks (Florida) looked to build on a strong 2024, but he lost all but three games in the 2025 season to a foot injury.
Both will likely go Round 1 not just because the class is generally poor, but because defensive tackle is such a premium position and many teams will enter the draft with needs unanswered by free agency. Those who miss out on Woods and Banks will go after Texas Tech’s Lee Hunter or Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald, but both are true nose tackles who aren’t ready to impact the pass rush often in Year 1.
| Player | School | Notable Overall Ranking |
|---|---|---|
| Peter Woods | Clemson | No. 10 (ESPN), No. 15 (Drafttek), No. 33 (Athletic) |
| Caleb Banks | Florida | No. 24 (The Athletic) |
| Kayden McDonald | Ohio State | No. 26 (The Athletic), No. 31 (ESPN) |
| Christen Miller | Georgia | No. 29 (Drafttek), No. 44 (ESPN) |
| A’Mauri Washington | Oregon | No. 37 (ESPN) |
| Domonique Orange | Iowa State | No. 45 (ESPN) |
| Lee Hunter | Texas Tech | No. 60 (The Athletic) |
| Dontay Corleone | Cincinnati | No. 71 (NFL Draft Buzz) |
| Chris McClellan | Missouri | No. 95 (The Athletic) |
| Zane Durant | Penn State | No. 99 (Drafttek) |
Ryan Poles didn’t heed this warning last year.
In 2025, one of the worst position groups was linebackers. That meant it was inadvisable to take one in the later rounds. Nevertheless, Poles took Ruben Hyppolite in the 4th. That doesn’t seem like a great decision. Conversely, running back was considered loaded and the Bears scored Kyle Monangai in the 7th. This should serve as an important lesson. If you are dead set on addressing a specific position, the weaker it is, the earlier you should strike. Carson Schwesinger was an outstanding linebacker for the Cleveland Browns last season. Why? It’s probably because they took him at the top of the 2nd round.
For all the talk about edge rushers, this year’s class is said to be stacked with them. It should be far easier for Ryan Poles to find good ones in the 2nd, 3rd, or 4th rounds. He should also be able to find safeties and linebackers as well. Unless there is an early run on defensive tackles, which there could be, that is the spot the Bears have to focus on. Now, there could be a situation where a player at a different position is graded far above everybody else. In that case, you take the best player.
However, if the grades are close, the wise decision is to get that interior guy early.