The Chicago Bears have one more major pre-draft event to attend before the countdown to the NFL draft in April begins. That is the scouting combine, which is just eight days away. After that, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson will begin the pro day and private meeting process, setting their draft board. Chicago sits at 25th overall in this draft, meaning that unless they plan to trade up, it will be a long wait for them on opening night. In that time, a lot can happen regarding which players fall.
What Bears fans aren’t sure about is the team’s thinking. For a long time, the assumption was they’d focus on defense. The unit was 29th last season and lacks dynamic playmakers. Getting Dennis Allen more pieces to work with made sense. However, the injury to left tackle Ozzy Trapilo shifted those thoughts to the team maybe going after a blindside protector for Caleb Williams. I reached out to somebody close to the situation inside Halas Hall. It was put to me like this.
It would be very surprising if the Bears don’t go defense in the 1st round. There are too many needs in too many spots for it not to be.
The Chicago Bears seem focused on the defensive line.
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SM reported recently that the team loves edge rushers Rueben Bain Jr. and David Bailey. If either falls out of the top 10, the team brass would consider moving up. However, the positive feelings aren’t limited to those two. Auburn defensive end Keldrick Faulk also has plenty of fans inside the building. Clemson’s T.J. Parker also gained some admirers after his strong showing at the Senior Bowl. Edge rusher sounds like the current focus of the team, which shouldn’t be a surprise.
Right now, the Bears have two defensive ends on the roster ready to plan opening day next season. Dayo Odeyingbo is recovering from an Achilles injury. Dominique Robinson, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and Daniel Hardy are free agents. They need another piece to help Montez Sweat and Austin Booker. Experts agree that edge rusher is one of the strongest positions in this draft class. If any position has good odds of hitting at 25th overall, it would be that one. Here is a breakdown of every edge rusher selected in the past decade between picks 20 and 32.
| Year | Pick | Player | Team | College |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 26 | James Pearce Jr. | Atlanta Falcons | Tennessee |
| 2024 | 22 | Chop Robinson | Miami Dolphins | Penn State |
| 2023 | 28 | Myles Murphy | Cincinnati Bengals | Clemson |
| 2023 | 30 | Nolan Smith | Philadelphia Eagles | Georgia |
| 2023 | 31 | Felix Anudike-Uzomah | Kansas City Chiefs | Kansas State |
| 2022 | 26 | Jermaine Johnson II | New York Jets | Florida State |
| 2022 | 30 | George Karlaftis | Kansas City Chiefs | Purdue |
| 2021 | 21 | Kwity Paye | Indianapolis Colts | Michigan |
| 2021 | 27 | Joe Tryon-Shoyinka | Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Washington |
| 2021 | 28 | Payton Turner | New Orleans Saints | Houston |
| 2021 | 30 | Gregory Rousseau | Buffalo Bills | Miami (FL) |
| 2021 | 31 | Odafe Oweh | Baltimore Ravens | Penn State |
| 2020 | 20 | K’Lavon Chaisson | Jacksonville Jaguars | LSU |
| 2019 | 29 | L.J. Collier | Seattle Seahawks | TCU |
| 2017 | 22 | Charles Harris | Miami Dolphins | Missouri |
| 2017 | 26 | Takkarist McKinley | Atlanta Falcons | UCLA |
| 2017 | 28 | Taco Charlton | Dallas Cowboys | Michigan |
| 2017 | 30 | T.J. Watt | Pittsburgh Steelers | Wisconsin |
The Bears must follow a specific method if they go this route.
Experts like to say that stats never tell the full story of a player. You have to watch the tape. This is only half true. Stats do often tell the story. However, it isn’t always the one you’re thinking of. Sacks are obviously the go-to number for pass rushers, but it can be finicky because college offense work hard to get the ball out fast these days. However, one stat that usually serves as a good indicator of a capable pass rusher is tackles for a loss. Each of the top names in that list had at least one season with high TFL production.
- Watt – 15.5 in 2016
- Chaisson – 13.5 in 2019
- Rousseau – 19.5 in 2019
- Karlaftis – 17 in 2019 and 11.5 in 2021
- Pearce – 14.5 in 2023 and 13 in 2024
That proves a player is capable of consistently getting into the backfield and making plays. If we stick to that line of thinking, here is who the Chicago Bears should be monitoring at #25.
- Akheem Mesidor – 17.5 in 2025
- Zion Young – 16.5 in 2025
- Cashius Howell – 14 in 2025
- T.J. Parker – 12.5 in 2023 and 19.5 in 2024
There is always a chance the Bears go defensive tackle, linebacker, or safety. Allen could fall in love with a particular name at one of those positions. Still, based on the knowledge going around the building at present, edge rushers are the ones to watch.
