Jaylon Johnson's missed tackles and coverage problems this season have put him in Pro Football Focus' top 10 disappointing NFL players for the first half of 2026.

This would probably surprise no Bears fans who have seen Johnson whiff on some tackles and amass a poor passer rating against when targeted, although he has also made occasional plays.

Bradley Locker of PFF harkened back to the days when Johnson was dominant and one of that website's top players, but then pointed out his 32.1 coverage grade this year is second worst among the 75 cornerbacks who played the most.

Naturally the Bears should be interested in cornerbacks with the trade deadline coming Tuesday but it's not entirely because of Johnson. Tyrique Stevenson has been a big-play touchdown waiting to happen. Malik Muhammad has been effective for a rookie but still gets beat as someone with inexperience will. Plus, he's currently injured.

It's why Riq Woolen's name or that of Alontae Taylor or Mike Sainristil have come up in NFL trade rumors. Sainristil didn't get a play rep last week, which only seems to indicate he could be moved by Tuesday's deadline.

The Bears really should be interested in these two or a few other cornerbacks and it's not just because of the coverage issues Johnson and others have had.

They addressed the defensive tackle and pass rush issue with Jeffery Simmons. They have an abundance of edge players now — Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, Daniel Hardy, and both James Lynch and Shemar Turner can go from tackle to end. They need another cornerback for depth but one who can start would be preferable for both the short term and the future.

Woolen could fit that need as a tall cornerback with great speed who excels in man-to-man and is still young. They would have a tough time finding a cornerback who can start right away and be effective in next year's draft.

According to Mel Kiper's analysis of top positions, cornerback is not a strength of the draft. Quarterback, wide receiver, edge rusher, tight end, safety and defensive tackle are identified as the strengths by Kiper.

Bears chances of drafting a top cornerback are remote

The Bears already should be picking late in rounds if they're as good as their start indicates. Their second-rounder could almost be a third-rounder, and they have no first-rounder because of the deal for Simmons. The player they'd draft in Round 2 wouldn't be that great so late in the round, and then there's another reason they should be interested instead at improving at cornerback in a trade.

An article by The Athletic's draft expert, Dane Brugler, revealed another very good reason they should be trying to trade for a starting cornerback. He reported NFL scouts are "preparing" for an unusually high number of fourth-year seniors in the 2027 draft. That means a depleted draft crop.

The fifth-year players are going to return because of both NIL money and the chance to take advantage of a new rule granting everyone fifth-year senior status, red-shirt or not. With a thinner crop overall, and a group of cornerbacks not exactly full of premium players, a younger veteran might be preferable to using a draft pick for the position.

Poles already made the right decision by trading for a top pass-rushing and run-stuffing defensive tackle. The top defensive tackle for pass rush over the past three drafts is the Rams' Byron Murphy with 3.5 sacks per season from 2024-26. It is extremely difficult to find defensive tackles who are big-time pass rushers and even if there are good defensive tackles in the next draft the Bears will never find one immediately a threat like Simmons.

Now they have to face the fact the odds will be against finding a cornerback in the second round next year, and look into finding a potential starter in a trade.