The disparity between how fans view Montez Sweat and how folks in league circles do showed up again in ESPN’s ranking of the NFL’s top edge rushers going into the 2026 season.
Nothing announces the upcoming NFL season like ESPN’s annual top-10 series. Every year, NFL executives, coaches, and scouts are polled to rank the league’s best players position by position. Not only does this series usher in the return of tangible football talk, but it also offers a glimpse at how folks around the league have stacked up each position group.
We have already discussed where D’Andre Swift ranks among running backs, as well as the belief of one anonymous NFL exec that Jaylon Johnson will return to form as a top-10 cornerback. The series rolls on with a breakdown of the league’s top edge defenders. And while Montez Sweat doesn’t crack the top 10, he did generate enough votes to merit consideration — which allows us to have a broader conversation about the Bears, their top edge rusher, and the state of the position for Chicago’s football team.
Bears defensive lineman Montez Sweat reacts after sacking Packers QB Jordan Love. | Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinMontez Sweat is on the outside looking in at ESPN’s top-10 edge rusher rankings
Even though Montez Sweat might be polarizing among Bears fans, folks in NFL circles believe he is a top edge defender.
OK, so Sweat is just outside ESPN’s ranking of the 10 best edge defenders based on input from NFL executives, coaches, and scouts. However, I find it fitting that Sweat is joined by Travon Walker, Jaelan Phillips, Laiatu Latu, Nick Herbig, and Alex Highsmith in the “also receiving votes” category.
That is a collection of players who all fall into the same bucket for me. Each of the players listed here is a quality edge defender. They stop the run, pressure the quarterback, and are well-rounded players that you’d love to have on your favorite team’s defense. And yet, they don’t have the bite to make it into the top 10. And, to be clear, that isn’t necessarily an indictment of their play. Instead, it says more about the upper echelon of edge defenders who are currently wrecking game plans around the league. The players who check in among the top 10 are all game-wreckers who do it all constantly at an elite level and at the highest frequency.
WHY BEARS COACH BEN JOHNSON RAVES ABOUT MONTEZ SWEAT
A quick look at the top-10:
Myles Garrett, Los Angeles Rams Micah Parsons, Green Bay Packers Will Anderson Jr., Houston Texans Maxx Crosby, Las Vegas Raiders Aidan Hutchinson, Detroit Lions Danielle Hunter, Houston Texans T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers Nick Bosa, San Francisco 49ers Brian Burns, New York Giants Nik Bonitto, Denver BroncosThree things that stand out to me from that group:
Six of the 10 players listed above are still with the team that drafted them. That number would have been five had the Baltimore Ravens not backed out of their deal to acquire Maxx Crosby earlier in the offseason. Nevertheless, the big takeaway here is that your best bet to land an impact edge rusher is to draft and develop one. Three players (Garrett, Parsons, Burns) were acquired by their current teams in trades. The lesson here is that it is important to maintain financial flexibility and be willing to part ways with long-term assets, as it could enable your team to significantly upgrade an important position. Only one player (Hunter) was brought in by their current team via free agency. What irks me here is that Hunter was reportedly on the Bears’ radar as a free agent in 2024. That Chicago’s front office did not land the plane here (1) is disappointing and (2) helps explain why this team’s front four isn’t as dynamic as it could be. This missed opportunity haunts me, and it should bug Bears GM Ryan Poles to no end.NFL TOP 100: Bears DE Montez Sweat Lands at No. 91
In the end, I find myself circling back to two thoughts. Firstly, Montez Sweat is underrated among Bears fans. And while I’m not sure what it will take for his stock to rise in the eyes of this fan base, I’d like to imagine that a second consecutive season with 10+ sacks would help matters. Secondly, if the Bears want to help Swea and the defensive line, the front office needs to draft an impact pass rusher to line up opposite him ASAP.
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