Bear Digest

Where Bears Need the Most Draft Help Should Be Totally Clear

Analysis: It's obvious where the Bears most need help in this draft even if they want to give Caleb Williams more help.

Gene Chamberlain

The defensive lineman whose pressure increased most when Montez Sweat arrived was Justin Jones. And he's no longer in Chicago.
The defensive lineman whose pressure increased most when Montez Sweat arrived was Justin Jones. And he's no longer in Chicago. / Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports
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When the spectacle of Caleb Williams wearing the Bears hat on stage with the commissioner is finished Thursday night, GM Ryan Poles will basically have a choice at No. 9 in Round 1 of helping out one of two people.

They're either going to help out Montez Sweat in pursuit of quarterbacks or they're going to help Williams.

It's true the Bears haven't had a quarterback worth helping much, and when they thought they did in 2021 he failed to live up to expectations. You can make all the arguments you want about Justin Fields not being helped and no one could dispute this, but it's also true he failed to live up to his own end of the bargain in several ways.

With Williams, there should be every attempt made to provide him as much help as possible. 

The other teams might make the choice for them first, and gobble up all the wide receivers.

The more receivers, the merrier; it all sounds good. Yet, there are solid reasons why the smarter play for the Bears would be to pick a pass rusher immediately or to trade down and choose one somewhere in the middle of Round 1.

They added Keenan Allen to DJ Moore and have two 1,000-yard receivers. It's true the offense can use an upgrade at third receiver and there is no denying this could be a one-year rental on Allen because of his age and salary.

So there is wisdom in bringing in a top rookie receiver to learn before Allen leaves.

However, this doesn't have to be the only year Allen plays in Chicago. If he produces like with the Chargers, their cap space easily allows for at least two more years after this one before they need to worry about quarterback contract extensions and big dollars eating at the cap.

They also have tight end Cole Kmet, who has averaged 63 receptions the last three years, and tight end Gerald Everett, who has averaged 49 the last four years.

Dexter should automatically be expected to improve in Year 2 regardless of adding someone and his situation shouldn't be included as a determining factor.

So there are sufficient targets and no one knows what happens if Tyler Scott actually picks up his game in Year 2. At some point you say there is sufficient talent and if the quarterback is everything he's said to be, make that work.

Meanwhile, this is what the situation is for Sweat, their big-money guy on the defensive line.

The second edge rusher is DeMarcus Walker and he had the most pressures of his career in 2022 with 22. He had 3 1/2 sacks and 2.0 came after the acquisition of Sweat.

There's nothing indicating Walker would enjoy a major leap forward because they have Sweat the full season. It was only a slight improvement for him last year after the change, and Walker has never been that type of edge rusher who makes a huge impact.

The amount of pressures Walker had after Sweat came on board, the so-called Sweat effect, was only marginal. Walker did make two of his 3 1/2 sacks after they acquired Sweat. He had a rate of 1.33 pressures per game after Sweat to 1.25 before. It wasn't a huge number.

Gervon Dexter, at 3-technique, did play better after Sweat came to the Bears, with 11 of his 17 pressures and his 2 1/2 sacks all being after Sweat's arrival. However, he was a rookie and rookies naturally become better toward the end of the first season after they figure it all out.

And running back D'Andre Swift had never been below 46 receptions until last year, when he had 39 in Philadelphia. Williams threw plenty toh h sih backs while at USC.

The player who benefited most from the "Sweat effect," was Justin Jones, who had 13 of his 22 pressures and 3 1/2 of his 4 1/2 sacks after Sweat's arrival. Of course, Jones is gone now and hasn't been replaced.

The pass rush help doesn't have to be an edge but this would be of benefit. They could actually use a tackle and an end. The 3-technique play was average with Jones and typical rookie mistakes with the others. This is the reason there is so much Bears buzz about Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, a 3-technique perceived to be the best in the draft.

Dominique Robinson provided nothing last year and two seasons have shown this is what to expect.

So edge situation and the pass rush from the line don't look to improve at all from the end of the year unless the Bears add help. It better be the best edge they can find because teams are really going to start to double up on Sweat this season knowing how poor the other Bears pass rushers were before he arrived.

Last year they had 10 sacks in eight games before Sweat joined the team. They made 20 in the last nine games. It's better pressure but still not enough pressure because they finished next to last in sacks, and they had a net loss in free agency with Jones leaving, not a net gain.

They need to amp it up even more.

The need is greater for a No. 2 pass rusher than a No. 3 receiver. Walker does not count as a No. 2 pass rusher. He's an all-around type of end but not really a feared edge rush threat who removes pressure from Sweat. He'd be a fine third edge rusher.

If they lose Sweat to injury, they have nothing.

If they lose Allen or they lose Moore, they still have the other receiver.

Figuring out what they need is as simple as that.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.