The decision on whether the Chicago Bears draft another edge rusher seems a foregone conclusion, especially after GM Ryan Poles addressed the topic at his free agency press conferences.
"You can't have enough pass rushes on your team," Poles said. "For this first group, be to be able to align in different alignments, to be relentless, get the quarterback off the spot."
Poles wouldn't commit to pursuing any more free agent edge rushers.
"Like I said, you can't have enough pass rushers," he added. "We're always looking to add and improve that group. But I feel good about where we are today."
Which leaves tomorrow, as in the draft.
The Bears do have the need at edge even after signing free agent starter Dayo Odeyingbo because of someting Poles said.
"You want to have waves of pass rushers," Poles said.
Dayo Odeyingbo didn't get the sack here but he did showcase some of his pass rush moves vs tev last season. pic.twitter.com/Q2z4AvF0Yn
— The Bear Review (@The_Bear_Review) March 11, 2025
They have a first wave and the beginning of a second wave. There is actually the possibility they even have the second wave but it's entirely unproven.
While Odeyingbo takes the place of recently cut DeMarcus Walker, they haven't replaced Darrell Taylor, who is now with Houston. Nor have they replaced free agent Jake Martin.
Bears 2022 fifth-round pick Dominique Robinson has two sacks, 14 pressures, three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits in three years. Austin Booker was a rookie fifth-rounder last year who had 1 1/2 sacks, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and six pressures.
For the system fit, and also to find pass rushers more effective at getting home to make the sack, the Bears have to consider this position.
Austin Booker SACK! pic.twitter.com/IWeTRRBkiz
— Six Point Bears (@SixPointBears) August 2, 2024
Here are the questions they face in making a decision on a player.
The system fit came with Odeyingbo. He's 6-4, 286. The scheme of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen calls for one bigger, stout edge, a player who possibly could line up inside in pass-rushing situations and allow an extra edge to be on the field in the 260-pound range like Montez Sweat is. They would be all-in with the rush in those situations.
Getting one a little less dependent upon strength and more on speed in on third downs also lets them better track down screen passes.
Montez Sweat is a bad dude.
Eberflus calls a sweet stunt that weaponizes both Sweat & Yannick's athleticism well -- Sweat is long enough to engage the RG (nearly getting Yannick free) and fast enough to rip around the edge in time for a big 3rd down sack.
Nice 👌 pic.twitter.com/2m46yt8MSj
— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) December 1, 2023
Allen used this 280-pound, 260-pound combination as his rotation at end for six-plus seasons and had no one lighter than 260 among his top edges. He knows what makes his system go.
If you want to go by the pure Allen system, even sack savant Abdul Carter doesn't fit his approach at 248 pounds. It's hard to imagine the Bears would turn away a player of such skill for his size but it would be interesting to find out. They would probably never get the chance because he'd be long gone.
I don't know if I've seen an EDGE with a quicker first step, better explosiveness, or faster closing speed than Abdul Carter. pic.twitter.com/UZZOuRLonX
— Ian Cummings (@IC_Draft) March 15, 2025
With the other players, though, edge rusher isn't a simple matter of lining up the fastest player and letting him race around the tackle to the quarterback. It's a matter of size, technique and the pass rush's goals. If it was just speed, the Bears would try using wide receivers there.
Some would say they actually did that with Robinson, who was a college wideout.
If you went by the letter of the law, Georgia's Jalon Walker, Marshall's Mike Green, Florida's James Pearce Jr. and Boston College's Donovan Ezeiruaku don't fit the system, either. In Green's case, he's close enough at 6-3 1/2, 251 that he could add weight to reach 261. Khalil Mack, for instance, added about 18 pounds after he was in the NFL and was at 269 last year.
One of the more underrated guys in this draft is #BostonCollege EDGE Donovan Ezeiruaku
Long, agile and athletic, his shuttle and 3-cone in Indy were in the 92nd and 91st percentiles respectively
🎥: Here’s a handful of his 16.5 sacks from this past season, with All-22 👇 pic.twitter.com/zRWSeGZc3y
— The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) March 15, 2025
The signing of Odeyingbo almost looks like a projection because he has had only one big sack season with eight.
Similarly, there are numerous projection types in the first round group of defensive ends.
Georgia's Mykel Williams, for example, is the right size but never has had more than five sacks, but did have an injury last season. Teammate Walker had only 12 1/2 sacks in three Georgia seasons, with a high of 6 1/2.
Mykel Williams (@MykelWilliams_) stays active & never stops fighting. Chops the arm down, snatches the off-balanced blocker & gets the sack. Effort will never betray you! #passrush #godawgs #nationalchampionship pic.twitter.com/2zpE1euCfW
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) January 10, 2023
Then there is the ultimate workout warrior, Shemar Stewart, who would fit the Bears' prototype perfectly if only he played perfectly. He had 4 1/2 sacks and 12 tackles for loss in three seasons for Texas A&M. Yet, he's talked about as if he's a certain pick in the top half of Round 1 after he had a 40-inch vertical leap, 4.59-second 40 and 10-foot-11 broad jump.
Stewart was asked at the combine why he should be a team's pick.
"If you don't pick me, just know I'm bringing hell to your city," he said, to the delight of combine reporters.
The follow-up should have been if he could bring hell to someone's city, why didn't he do it in college?
This rep from Shemar Stewart is a perfect microcosm for who he is as a prospect right now
🎥: The fact he lines up wide 9, then explodes 2 gaps over is completely absurd… He’s 290 pounds ffs‼️
But while he does force Cook to run, he JUST fails to get the sack - a common theme pic.twitter.com/7ieaucWZAt
— The Draft Room (@TheDraftRoomNFL) February 14, 2025
The good thing for the Bears as they approach the edge issue is they don't have to take one with the 10th pick overall.
They have two second-round picks and the supply of edge rushers this year is so deep there could be 12 or 13 taken in the first two rounds.
The 4th-and-goal Texas disaster that results in a Jack Sawyer strip-sack and scoop-and-score for Ohio State.
The sideline cams show Steve Sarkisian's soul being crushed in real time on the Pat McAfee broadcast. #CFP pic.twitter.com/VipP5Ska1s
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 11, 2025
Again, they'd have to find system fits but a second-round pick is naturally going to be regarded with more potential for fitting into the rush rotation than a fifth-rounder like Robinson or Booker would.
Texas A&M's Nic Scourton, Arkansas' Landon Jackson, Ohio State's Jack Sawyer and J.T. Tuimoloau, Mississippi's Princely Umanmielen and Oregon's Jordan Burch all rate as potential second-rounders.
I don't think JT Tuimoloau gets enough credit for how impactful he was (stats and tape) during OSU's National Title run.
Four playoff gms: 20 pressures, 10 TFL, 6.5 sacks, 1 FF, A+ vs. the run. pic.twitter.com/2zDCXf0X3Z
— Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) January 21, 2025
Scourton, Jackson, Sawyer, Tuimoloau and Burch all are ideal fits for the Bears prototype at defensive end.
Considering how many ideal fits size-wise for the Bears' system there are in Round 2 as compared to the first round, the Bears would look better suited for pushing this selection off and pursuing some other spot at No. 10.
The backup offensive tackle could be found in Round 1 instead, or a guard for the future if Joe Thuney leaves after a year.
What they could also find is a tight end or running back.
5⭐️ 2020 DE Jordan Burch goes speed to power with the long arm & walks his blocker back for the sack during the @AllAmericaGame@JordanB1505 is verbally committed to @GamecockFB as of this post #PassRush pic.twitter.com/46bPiXfMqZ
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) January 7, 2020
X: BearsOnSI