The Chicago Bears could well look to this week’s 2026 NFL draft to bolster their cornerback room for next season, but they are also not giving up on the upside that they believe former second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson has for 2026.
Stevenson — whom the Bears traded up to select in the 2023 draft — has struggled to consistently emerge as a reliable defender over his first three seasons with the Bears. While he had an impressive rookie season as Chicago’s No. 2 boundary cornerback, he has taken steps back in his subsequent two seasons, particularly in pass coverage.
Nevertheless, Bears new assistant general manager Jeff King has made it clear that he and the rest of the front office are very much still believers in Stevenson’s potential.
“Tyrique’s no different than every young player in this league,” King said April 21. “He’s had ups. He’s had his moments of downs. It’s our charge to help him through those. He’s made some great plays. Probably the fumble vs. Dallas changed the trajectory of that game, very early in that game. We’re never going to put a ceiling on a guy’s upside.
“We’re not gonna put Tyrique in a box and say, ‘You’re gonna be this.’ He’s still growing. He’s still learning. He’s shown those flashes of being a great player, and we have a lot of hope that, through this offseason, he’s gonna get there. We saw him in the building [on April 20]. He looks great. He’s done a really good job this spring of getting in shape.”
Tyrique Stevenson Was One of 2025’s Worst Perimeter CBs
Stevenson had a golden opportunity to solidify his place with the Bears in 2025, with both All-Pro Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon sidelined for most of the season due to injuries. Instead, he likely only hurt his chances of staying in Chicago for the long term.
According to Pro Football Focus, Stevenson yielded the second-most yards per coverage snap (1.73) and allowed explosive pass plays at the third-highest rate (4.2%) out of the 75 cornerbacks who played at least 345 coverage snaps during the 2025 season, ranking him one of the worst perimeter cornerbacks in the NFL.
Stevenson also saw his production decline in 2025. He finished the season with career lows in tackles (49), interceptions (one) and pass breakups (10) and missed time with shoulder and hip injuries that limited him to a career-low 13 games and just 10 starts.
While Stevenson’s coverage abilities called into question his long-term fit in Chicago, though, it was not all bad for the third-year cornerback. He wielded his aggressive play tendencies in a potent manner for the Bears’ run defense, recording 41 solo tackles and adding a pair of forced fumbles — including the one that King mentioned against Dallas.
Even still, Stevenson is running out of runway. He is entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2026 with a $4.096 million cap hit. While he is unlikely to miss the roster cut, the Bears could save about $3.67 million against the cap if other options emerged.
Could Bears Target a New CB Early in 2026 NFL Draft?
Cornerback is not an immediate need for the Bears heading into the 2026 season, even though the team allowed Nahshon Wright and slot defender C.J. Gardner-Johnson to leave in free agency. Johnson and Gordon will be healthy again, while Stevenson, Terell Smith, Zah Frazier, Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell are all in the mix for depth roles.
Given how things broke down for Chicago’s secondary in 2025, though, there is logic in the team using one of its picks in this week’s draft to add another corner to the roster.
The Bears do not have picks in the fifth or sixth rounds of this year’s draft to consider using on cornerbacks, but they could target one with their fourth-round pick if one of the prospects they like slips into Day 3. The second or third rounds are also options, especially with the Bears possessing two late second-round selections (Nos. 57 and 60).
While other roster needs will likely prevail, the Bears could also realistically target a cornerback at No. 25 overall in the first round if they have doubts about their options at other positions or have one of the corners high on their boards. Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy probably has too many injury concerns, but Clemson’s Avieon Terrell — brother of Atlanta Falcons star A.J. Terrell — may interest them if they go best player available.
The first round of the 2026 NFL draft begins at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday, April 23.
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