Chicago Bears First-Round Prospect They Should Avoid in 2026 NFL Draft
A rising edge rusher may look like a fit for the Bears, but his weaknesses highlight why Chicago should pass.
Every NFL draft cycle has that one player who looks like a perfect fit on paper. For the Chicago Bears, this might be the one they need to avoid.
A recent evaluation from Bleacher Report flagged former UCF edge rusher Malachi Lawrence as a potential first-round target who doesn’t align with what Chicago actually needs right now.
And when you dig into it, the reasoning checks out.
Lawrence Fit Looks Right Until You Watch the Tape
The Bears need pass-rush help. That's obvious.
They finished with just 35 sacks in 2025 and never found a consistent complement to Montez Sweat. That alone makes any rising edge rusher an easy connection.
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Naturally, Lawrence fits that surface-level profile.
He’s 6-foot-4, 253 pounds, explosive, and disruptive when he can attack upfield. His flashes as a pass rusher are real, and they’re the reason he’s climbing into the first-round conversation.
The Run Defense Problem Changes Everything
If this were strictly about rushing the passer, the conversation might be different. But it’s not.
The Chicago Bears’ run defense struggled all season. They ranked near the bottom of the league in yards allowed per carry and gave up over 2,200 rushing yards. That wasn’t a one-off issue. It was a consistent weakness that showed up against both physical and zone-heavy teams.
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Sure, fixing the pass rush is one of Ryan Poles' most important agenda items in the 2026 draft, but a first-round pick should be able to impact the game in more than just one way.
And that's where Lawrence falls out of favor. He's not the best edge prospect against the run. Far from it, actually.
Why Malachi Lawrence Is a Risk for Chicago
As Bleacher Report noted, Lawrence did some of his best work standing up, using his athleticism to win in space, and that doesn’t always translate to holding the edge against NFL tackles.
There are legitimate concerns about his ability to anchor, set the edge, and consistently hold up against the run. And for a Bears defense that already struggles in that phase, adding another question mark doesn’t solve the problem.
Would Lawrence bring juice to the Bears' pass rush? Absolutely. But a first-round pick must profile as a potential cornerstone on defense, and a one-dimensional pass rusher isn't that.
The Bears’ Bottom Line
The Chicago Bears don’t just need a pass rusher. They need a complete edge defender.
Someone who can pressure the quarterback and hold up against the run. Someone who makes life easier for the rest of the defense, not someone who needs to be protected.
If Poles invests in a first-round edge defender, it has to be the right player. And, yeah, Lawrence might become a productive NFL pass rusher.
But the Bears' defense needs more. And whoever they select in the first round has to be capable of that.
