Logic should dictate every decision a professional business makes. Sports are no different. When looking at the NFL draft, what does logic say? That’s easy. Focus on the offense. If there is any reason why the Chicago Bears have failed to go further than the first round of the playoffs the past three years it’s because they can’t score enough points. If GM Ryan Pace is so committed to Andy Dalton being an upgrade over Mitch Trubisky or Nick Foles, doesn’t it make sense to use every resource available to help him?
That depends on the perspective. Remember who we’re dealing with here. Pace has built the identity of his Bears teams through the defense. When it goes, the team goes. It’s also clearly his specialty. When reviewing his drafts and free agency moves over the past six offseasons, his best work has overwhelmingly come on the defensive side of the ball. So it shouldn’t be crazy to think that is where he might focus with the 20th pick in the draft this month.
Then there is another factor worth considering.
Dalton himself. In his career, he’s played with a top 11 overall defense four times. He made the playoffs all four times. This could offer an illustration of what the Bears might be planning. If Trubisky was good enough for 8-8 with a really good defense, then one has to think this team’s record will improve with Dalton, who is a better overall quarterback.
It’s not totally illogical. The Bears do believe they upgraded at QB. It may not have been the quantum leap fans were hoping for, but it can be called a step in the right direction. If Dalton plays the way he did in the final six games for Dallas last year, then Chicago is right to think that. It’s not like he is going to win shootouts with Aaron Rodgers anyway. So fortifying the defense does make sense.
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Ryan Pace could end up having a lot of good options at #20
When examining the outlook of the top of this draft, it seems like it’ll be offensively-drive. Three quarterbacks are going in the top three picks. Maybe even four in the top four. Then a run on left tackles is expected to begin with wide receivers and tight end Kyle Pitts slipping in somewhere. The run on defenders may not begin until the bottom of the top 10. This offers an idea of what the Bears could be looking at.
There is a strong possibility Ryan Pace could have the best or second-best player at a number of defensive positions sitting on the board at 20th overall. Cornerback figures to be an option at that spot. Names like Caleb Farley of Virginia Tech or Jaycee Horn of South Carolina might be there. Both are viewed as Pro Bowl-caliber talents. The same goes for edge rushers like Jaelan Phillips of Miami and Jayson Oweh of Penn State.
They could always go linebackers as well.
Don’t forget Danny Trevathan is getting up there in years. This could be his last season in Chicago. Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah was a stud at Notre Dame and would be a perfect fit next to Roquan Smith. There will be options. Good options. Ones that are hard for the Bears to pass up when they go on the clock three weeks from now.
