Bear Digest

Process of Elimination Points to Bears Round 1 Pass Rusher

Analysis: The additions made in free agency and by trade met all other needs and they still lack someone to help Montez Sweat get to the passer.

Gene Chamberlain

Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne can't elude Dallas Turner, possibly the top edge rusher in the 2024 draft.
Auburn Tigers quarterback Payton Thorne can't elude Dallas Turner, possibly the top edge rusher in the 2024 draft. / Gary Cosby Jr.-USA TODAY Sports
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Teams go through a laborious process setting up their draft boards, and the Bears getting involved in their talent evaluation as they try to determine who they like best at No. 9 overall.

The first pick is fairly obvious at this point after their prolonged courtship of Caleb Williams.

"I talked about it when I first got here, but we have different tiers on our draft board," GM Ryan Poles told reporters at the owners meetings. "I like the numbers in terms of the talented players that can get to nine.

"We're gonna do some cool things when we get back (to Halas Hall), kind of break into teams. One team is going to talk about the tackle position is the best to go after, the wide receivers the best, the defensive ends the best, and use factual information to kinda spit that out. And we'll have a debate in terms of what's more impactful for our football team, short-term and long-term."

They call it a "pod" appoach and coach Matt Eberflus says it allows for a free exchange of ideas from coaches and personnel people about the players available.

When it gets down to the actual process of picking someone at No. 9 in Round 1, all logic dictates it needs to be a defensive lineman or an offensive tackle.

It's actually a process of elimination caused by what they've already done in free agency and trades to get the team better.

1. They Traded for Keenan Allen

The Bears had a need to help Williams at receiver because so many of their first downs came in the past from Justin Fields scrambling, on third down or otherwise. He accounted for 130 first downs running in his three seasons, 43 last year. Most of those are not planned runs but scrambles. The split is more even with Fields because the Bears recognized his ability to run and used it. However, they needed to come up with a way to replace or add to their first down total and there could be no receiver better for this than Allen, who was 12th or better at first-down receptions every season since 2017 except for 2022 when he missed seven games due to injuries.

"Just his situational excellence," Eberflus said of Allen. "He's been great in situations. you know, when you've got to have a play and he can make that play. He's been great on third down, great in two-minute, great on critical situations.

"What a discipline and just a master of a route-runner. And he has the ability to be open and stay open with his body. So he understands that."

2. They Added Gerald Everett

Everett is a No. 2 tight end, yet he was 17th in the league among tight ends in receptions last year and tied for eighth in 2022. The Bears have averaged 9.7 catches from their second tight end the last there years with a high of 14 catches by Jimmy Graham in 2021. Apparently they are serious about throwing to tight ends and needed someone besides Cole Kmet.

3. They Signed D'Andre Swift

There was a lot of talk about a back who could catch passes last year when David Montgomery left and they signed Travis Homer while deploying Khalil Herbert more on pass plays in the past, but Herbert caught only 20 passes, Homer none and they had to rely on rookie Roschon Johnson for a running back-high of 34 receptions. Last year 34 catches was 26th in the league for running backs. They haven't had more than 34 catches by a running back since Montgomery had 42 in 2021. Swift has had 39 or more receptions every year he's been in the league and usually does something with it when he gets it. With Detroit, he averaged 7.3 yards per catch or more every year as a receiver.

Drafting a third tight end in Round 1, Brock Bowers from Georgia, is a luxury a team still trying to put things together can't really afford.

4. Added 2 Centers

The center position was regarded as a problem prior to free agency. Now they can go to either Coleman Shelton, who has 1,771 plays at center and 288 at guard or Ryan Bates, who has 203 NFL snaps at center, 1,057 at guard and even 124 at tackle. Drafting a center now can be more of a project, and they also still have former Illini center Doug Kramer who could be a project if he ever stays healthy enough.

5. The Only Defensive Improvement

After they signed their own free agent cornerback, Jaylon Johnson, the only defensive improvement among defensive starters has been safety Kevin Byard.

How much of an improvement over Eddie Jackson he is remains to be seen because they're both about the same age. Byard has managed to be available throughout his career, though, and Jackson hasn't.

"Obviously Kevin being back there at the safety positon is going to be big for our secondary," Eberflus said. "You know, so the loss of Eddie and the communication skills and the play-making skills back there are goinng to be really good with Kevin back there because he's obviously been a ballhawk guy.

"He's had 28 interceptions in his career and we're excited about that acquisition and excited about working with him."

6. Tackle Depth Added

There has been talk they could draft a tackle even though Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright are young tackles but they added two possible swing tackles in Jake Curhan and Matt Pryor and already had Larry Borom. There are only so many tackles you can use.

7. The Defensive Line "Help"

The only edge help they added was Jake Martin, who has been with five other teams in six seasons and averaged three sacks a year. They also signed Byron Cowart at tackle and he didn't play last year but has 14 starts in a three-year career with one sack. Considering Dominique Robinson is their other backup edge and has two sacks and three tackles for loss in two seasons, it's easy to see where this all points.

Where It All Points

The numbers all add up to either a defensive end or tackle going off the board first for the Bears at No. 9 and they might even be able to trade back a few spots, pick up a pick or two and land that player in Round 1.

Dallas Turner, Jared Verse, Laiatu Latu and Chop Robinson are all possibilities on the edge if they move back or not.

There's only so much offense a rookie quarterback can use and the Bears need to look out for help to keep Montez Sweat from being overworked.

You don't need "pods" or groups of people offering input to see this.


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.

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