Every NFC North defense ranked from worst to best in 2023

3. Chicago Bears

The only way is up for a Bears defense that ranked last in points allowed last season. They spent big in free agency to help turn things around.

Chicago signed inside linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, immediately turning a weakness into a strength in the middle of the field.

However, there are still major concerns for a pass rush that made a league-low 20 sacks last season. The Bears did nowhere near enough to fix their No. 1 issue on defense. Free-agent signings Rasheem Green and DeMarcus Walker combined for 10.5 sacks in 2022. That helps, but the Bears needed to do more.

But it was never going to be easy to fix all of the roster holes in one offseason. The Bears made a good start to their defensive rebuild. Edmunds and Edwards are great additions for Chicago. They instantly upgrade a run defense that allowed 157.3 rushing yards per game last year. Only the Houston Texans had a worse record.

There are still significant questions on this side of the ball this season. The Bears need second-year players Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker to make a jump in year two, helping the secondary take a step forward.