It’s a surprising issue for a team that’s run by a former offensive lineman, but fortifying the lines of scrimmage has been most persistent problem in Ryan Poles’ time as Bears general manager.
The offensive and defensive lines are far from thrilling when it comes to roster building, but they’re essential. Along with great quarterback play, those units are at the core of any winner.
Poles has tried everything to fix the lines, yet they remain unfinished as he goes into his fifth draft Thursday. It’s another chance to get it right, and left tackle, defensive end and defensive tackle must be top priorities in the first and second rounds with the Nos. 25, 57 and 60 overall picks.
If the Bears stay at No. 25, the best offensive tackles in their range likely will be Alabama’s Kadyn Proctor, Georgia’s Monroe Freeling and Clemson’s Blake Miller. A pick like that would spare coach Ben Johnson and quarterback Caleb Williams from another prolonged battle at left tackle.
At defensive end, the projections put Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, Missouri’s Zion Young, Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Texas A&M’s Cassius Howell and Clemson’s T.J. Parker as possibilities. The options at defensive tackle probably will be Clemson’s Peter Woods and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald.
The options improve if they trade up, of course, but Poles generally hasn’t wanted to mortgage future draft capital for something like that.
Plenty has gone wrong for the Bears on both lines of scrimmage over the last five years — some their fault, some beyond their control.
Poles believed the offensive line was set after an overhaul last year, including using a second-round pick to draft left tackle Ozzy Trapilo. Then Trapilo suffered a career-jeopardizing knee injury in the playoffs and Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman stunningly retired at 27.
The Bears already have said Trapilo will miss most or all of this season, and with uncertainty beyond that, they’d be prudent to make a long-term move by drafting a left tackle at No. 25. If Trapilo comes back strong in 2027 and there’s a surplus at the position, the Bears will have a great trade asset.
It’s a different story on the defensive line.
Poles felt he had no choice but to unload future Hall of Fame defensive end Khalil Mack when he took the job and similarly would defend rescinding the splashy offer he made to free agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi after a failed physical.
Mack has continued to be a force and Ogunjobi started for the Steelers the next three seasons, but there was reasonable logic at the time.
There’s no grace, however, for some of the others, and that’s where Poles needs to make corrections via the draft.
Defensive Montez Sweat has been good, but the Bears needed him to be great after trading a second-round pick to get him and signing him to a four-year, $98 million contract extension that makes him their highest-paid player this season. His 21½ sacks since the trade rank 18th in the NFL.
Then there was the combined $90.8 million the team threw at defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (turning 33 next week) and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (16½ career sacks before signing). Neither had the impact the Bears hoped, and Odeyingbo exited midseason with a torn Achilles.
The Bears are locked into both deals until an affordable out arises next offseason, so the draft is their only option.
Poles also drafted defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens 53rd and 64th overall in 2023, a significant investment, but the Bears cut Pickens last year and Dexter still has a ways to go to reach the potential they saw in him. Shemar Turner, a defensive end they took in the second round last year, is an unknown after tearing his ACL after playing just five games.
It’s almost impossible to be a good defense without a disruptive pass rush and imposing run stuffers. The Bears somewhat offset those deficiencies last season by leading the league with 33 takeaways, but Johnson had admitted that’s not a reliable equation.
The best teams are great at the boring stuff — elements people usually only notice when they’re missing. The Bears need to protect Williams and be steady in the run. They need to speed up opposing quarterbacks in the pocket and stop letting running backs shred them. All of that starts up front, which makes their picks Thursday and Friday crucial to their future.
