The Chicago Bears have received another troubling update about one of the top defensive linemen on the trade block ahead of this week’s 2026 NFL draft.
The Bears count defensive linemen, both edge rushers and interior defenders, among their top roster needs for the 2026 season after finishing 27th in quarterback pressure rate and rushing yards allowed and 25th in pressures in 2025, per Next Gen Stats.
Chicago also “checked in on” a trade for five-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Maxx Crosby before his trade to Baltimore fell apart, as general manager Ryan Poles confirmed.
If the Bears are still eyeing trade options, though, they are “unlikely” to strike a deal with the New York Giants after the latest update on edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux.
“The #Giants, who had gotten trade calls centered around edge Kavyon Thibodeaux for the last few months, are now considered less likely to trade him following the blockbuster deal sending Dexter Lawrence to the #Bengals, sources say,” NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport wrote April 20 on X. “No one is ruling anything out. But unlikely.”
Kavyon Thibodeaux Could Have Made Sense for Bears
Thibodeaux has not lived up to expectations as the No. 5 overall pick in 2022, but he would have made an intriguing trade option for the Bears, given his untapped potential.
Thibodeaux has struggled with production and availability over his first four seasons with the Giants and is coming off a year in which he tallied career-low marks in both sacks (2.5) and games played (10). He is also heading into the final year of his contract with the Giants, who are due to pay him $14.75 million in 2026 on his fifth-year option.
Even still, Thibodeaux could have worked for the Bears at the right trade price.
While injuries have hampered Thibodeaux’s pass-rushing production with the Giants, he showed in 2023 that he can do some serious damage off the edge when fully healthy, recording 11.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles across his 17 starts.
Thibodeaux also earned the seventh-best run defense grade (80.7) among league edge rushers in 2025 despite his career-low availability, according to Pro Football Focus.
None of that suggests that Thibodeaux would be a world-beating, long-term solution for the Bears off the edge, but he could have offered a short-term rental with high upside at a reasonable price — as most projected the Giants would deal him for a mid-round pick.
Now, the Bears will most likely need to focus all of their attention on the draft instead.
Bears Widely Expected to Add Edge Rusher in Draft
The Bears were wise to kick the tires on trade options for their defensive line in 2026. Crosby could have been a difference-making addition, but the price of both trading for him and paying him on his current contract would have limited them through 2027.
With the draft three days away, though, the priority now shifts fully to the NFL draft.
The Bears are widely expected to invest in their defensive line during this week’s draft. Depending on how their scouts rate the available talent, they could even consider using their No. 25 overall pick in the first round to add an edge rusher or defensive tackle.
The edge rushers figure to be more appealing in the first round. According to USA Today’s Arye Pulli, the Bears had a top 30 pre-draft visit with Missouri’s Zion Young, putting him squarely on their radar for the 25th pick. Bears insider Brad Biggs has also connected the dots between Chicago and former Auburn pass rusher Keldric Faulk.
The first round is also not the end-all, be-all for edge rushers in 2026, either.
The Bears could have multiple quality edge-rushing options on the board when they make their first second-round pick at No. 57, such as Oklahoma’s R. Mason Thomas, Illinois’ Gabe Jacas and UCF’s Malachi Lawrence. Having two late-round second-round picks also gives Chicago the ability to trade up for a priority target earlier in the round.
The 2026 NFL draft will officially begin at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23.
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