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Chicago Bears player power rankings: Surprise defender reaches top after Week 1

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 10:20 AM ET

Selecting the five best Chicago Bears players heading into Week 2 of the 2025 NFL season proved to be a tough assignment, and not in the good way. Rather, there is a disappointing shortage of players on this roster who performed well in Monday night's humiliating loss to the Minnesota Vikings. In classic (and frustrating) Bears fashion, almost all of them came from the defense.

Last week, I put Caleb Williams at No. 5 in my Week 1 Chicago Bears player power rankings, and I promise Bears fans that I wanted to see him get to No. 1 for today. Unfortunately, Williams was a complete dud in this Week 1 loss to the Vikings and falls out of the Top 5 entirely. Someone else rose to take his place, including a defender who had a surprisingly good night.

1. Dayo Odeyingbo (Last week: Not ranked)

After a quiet training camp and preseason, Bears fans grew concerned that one of general manager Ryan Poles' biggest free agency acquisitions, defensive lineman Dayo Odeyingbo, was already a bust. His debut as a Bear proved everyone wrong. He was a menace from start to finish, always in the vicinity of the ball and putting constant pressure on the quarterback.

He didn't stuff the stat sheet but anyone who watched the game could see that Odeyingbo made his presence felt.

2. Gervon Dexter Sr. (Last week: Not ranked)

Another Bears defensive lineman started the 2025 season with a bang, and that's third-year player Gervon Dexter Sr. Like Odeyingbo, his final numbers aren't exactly eye-popping, but he finished with a sack and three total tackles and frequently collapsed the pocket.

3. Nahshon Wright (Last week: Not ranked)

Wright went from zero to hero in a flash on Monday night. Early in the game, he committed a costly pass interference penalty that gave the Vikings 42 yards at a time when they were struggling to even pick up a single first down. Wright more than made up for that in the third quarter when he perfectly timed a J.J. McCarthy pass, intercepted it, and took it 74 yards for a touchdown, his first career pick-6.

He may not get much playing time once Jaylon Johnson returns from his injury, but this was a special moment for the former third-round pick.

NAHSHON WRIGHT PICK-6

: @ESPNNFL pic.twitter.com/5geKe6lsBM
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) September 9, 2025

4. Joe Thuney (Last week: 1)

The offensive line provided much better pass protection for Caleb Williams in Week 1 than they ever did in the 2024 season, and much of that was due to the steady presence of 4-time All-Pro Joe Thuney. He was excellent all game and did not commit a single penalty, unlike some of his teammates.

5. Noah Sewell (Last week: Not ranked)

Another player serving in place of an injured starter was Sewell and he had himself a game. The former fifth-round pick led the team with 9 tackles, including 1.5 tackles at or behind the line of scrimmage. He made his presence felt on almost every down and did as well as you could ever expect from a backup.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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