The Chicago Bears know who they’re taking at #1. Everybody does. It will be Caleb Williams. The more persistent mystery is what they’ll do at #9. GM Ryan Poles hinted it is down to three positions: wide receiver, offensive tackle, and edge rusher. Over the next few weeks, he and the team brass will assemble into three different groups. Each group will make strong arguments about why they need to invest in their respective positions. From there, Poles feels things will come into focus before the draft kicks off.
Experts have their opinions on which way it will go. Most feel the wide receiver class this year is way too strong to ignore. Giving Williams another premium target can’t be a bad thing. Others feel Braxton Jones is an adequate but not a plus left tackle for the Bears. There could be multiple upgrade options at #9. However, former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel seems to think the team will go in another direction. Edge rusher will be the focus, and there are two primary reasons why.
Both are hard to argue.
If you have listened to either Head Coach Matt Eberflus or General Manager Ryan Poles, they have stated on several occasions that getting another edge pass rusher is of the utmost importance. Right now, the Bears have one premium pass rusher under contract: Montez Sweat. There is no other player currently on the roster currently who can rush the passer on a consistent basis…
…The other problem is the Edge class in this Draft is thin. There are only four quality pass rushers available to select in the first round. The four are Alabama’s Dallas Turner, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu, Florida State’s Jared Verse, and Penn State’s Chop Robinson. After those four, there is a big drop off in the talent level. Sure, there are players who can develop into good NFL pass rushers, but it would be a long shot to say they are ready to step in as rookies and become highly prolific players.
Because of that, the Bears will have a big decision to make. Do they take an edge at nine or perhaps a more highly-rated wide receiver? Currently, the Bears don’t have a second-round choice, so if they pass on an edge, they won’t be up again until the third round, and the chances of landing a top edge are very slim.
The Chicago Bears must decide to go edge rusher or live 2024 without one.
Their defensive front is faced with lots of questions. Montez Sweat is a star. That much is obvious. Gervon Dexter showed a lot of promise last year, but it’s hard to say what he will do this coming season. After that, it gets questionable in a hurry. Justin Jones is gone, having signed with Arizona. Yannick Ngakoue hasn’t re-signed. DeMarcus Walker is still in place. He’s a solid player, but nobody would mistake him for a premier rusher. Dominique Robinson? Jacob Martin? Zacch Pickens? There are a lot of unknowns after that.
As Gabriel stated, only four edge rushers rank as 1st round picks on most big boards. Maybe five if you include Missouri’s Darius Robinson. After that, it gets scarce fast. Only Chris Braswell and Adisa Isaac rank in the top 50 prospects. Maybe they get lucky with somebody in the 3rd round, but the odds would not be in their favor. The Chicago Bears don’t have a great track record of finding pass rushers outside the first two rounds. The last one to reach 20 sacks in his career was Mark Anderson way back in 2006, and half of that was accomplished away from Chicago.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
If Poles believes focusing on helping Williams is the right decision, it means he and the Bears are prepared to live with a short-handed defensive line this season.
