The Chicago Bears were mentioned a lot during the trade sweepstakes for Maxx Crosby. In the end, it didn’t happen. He briefly went to Baltimore before failing a physical and returning to the Las Vegas Raiders. Not long after that, star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence went on the block, failing to resolve a contract dispute with the New York Giants. Some felt he was an even better target for the Bears, but the buzz wasn’t quite as hot this time around. Eventually, the Cincinnati Bengals swooped in with the 10th overall pick to seal the deal.
As it turns out, Chicago was far closer to landing Lawrence than people realize. According to insider Tony Pauline of Essentially Sports, he heard that the Bears offered the 25th pick to New York for the defensive tackle straight up. Obviously, that didn’t work out since the Bengals offered the more valuable pick. Still, it tells us a lot about what the Bears think of their 1st round options in this upcoming draft. They clearly don’t think any guy they take would be better than Lawrence.
Perhaps more interestingly, they might be more interested in defensive tackles than we thought.
Dexter Lawrence represented a fix to a big Bears problem.
For all the talk about rushing the passer, which is valid, the team has been just as bad at stopping the run. They were 27th last season and 28th in 2024. Rushing the passer is already difficult. Doing so when the opposing team has constant advantages in down-and-distance from running the ball well makes it even worse. Part of the reason for all of that was the Bears’ inability to hold the point of attack. Their defensive tackles were blown off the ball too often, creating constant open lanes.
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That would not happen with Dexter Lawrence in the middle. Sadly, it didn’t work out. Yet the implications of this are clear. For the past few weeks, most experts haven’t been willing to mock possible defensive tackles to the Bears at #25 because they’re mostly known for their run defense, not their pass rush. This attempt to snag Lawrence suggests it might be a higher priority than expected. Suddenly, prominent names like Kayden McDonald of Ohio State, Peter Woods of Clemson, and Christen Miller of Georgia could be in play.
It’s been a long time since the Bears took such an approach.
The last time they took a defensive tackle in the 1st round was Tommie Harris in 2004. However, he was a clear interior pass rusher. To find a run-defending nose tackle in the 1st round, you’d have to go all the way back to Williams Perry in 1985. This was not a philosophy started by the current regime. It has been going on for decades. This would constitute a significant shift for the organization. That said, nobody would have any right to criticize them. Stopping the run is just as important as it’s always been. It just isn’t as flashy.
This Lawrence revelation at least leaves the door open for the possibility. Picking so late in the 1st round makes it difficult for the Bears to land a true difference-maker at the more premium positions like left tackle, edge rusher, and cornerback. However, most believe the defensive tackles won’t start going until late. That means they could have their pick of the entire class. It isn’t a terrible strategy. The Bears used it last year to grab Colston Loveland. Maybe lightning will strike twice.
