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Bears Predicted to Focus on Defense, Angle for ‘No. 1 Edge Rusher’ in Draft

Published

8 months ago

April 2, 2024

Edge defender Dallas Turner of the Alabama Crimson Tide.

The Chicago Bears may not be able to pass on wide receiver Rome Odunze if he falls to them at No. 9, but if he doesn’t, there will be at least one pass rusher available to help ease the sting.

Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus (PFF) on March 27 examined the top needs of all 32 NFL teams following the primary wave of free agency. For the Bears, it came down to quarterback, wide receiver and edge rusher.

However, Chicago is poised to select Caleb Williams first overall and just traded a fourth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for Pro Bowler Keenan Allen, which leaves the edge as the most glaring deficiency on the current roster.

Acquiring Keenan Allen for a fourth-round pick is a steal. One more wide receiver to pair with Allen and D.J. Moore would make Chicago’s offense very dangerous.

The Bears’ defense played well down the stretch last season, but they need a premier pass rusher opposite Montez Sweat. There are a couple of edge defenders, notably Dallas Turner and Jared Verse, worthy of the ninth overall pick, and that could be the position of focus if the top three wide receivers are off the board.

Rome Odunze Will Be Linchpin That Determines Back Half of Top 10, Including Bears’ Pick at No. 9

Verse is the more likely target for the Bears considering the Atlanta Falcons and their needs at pick No. 8 after signing quarterback Kirk Cousins to a massive four-year contract early in free agency.

“Atlanta still needs major improvements off the edge, given that the team ranked 27th in pass-rush grade last season. They could also use another perimeter player on both sides of the ball, at cornerback and wide receiver,” Wasserman wrote. “While they may not have their pick of the litter at wide receiver unless they trade up from the eighth overall selection, they almost certainly will have the first choice if they choose to select an edge rusher or a cornerback.”

Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN predicted in his most recent mock draft that the Falcons will select Turner as the first edge rusher and first defender off the board.

“This is another pairing that makes too much sense. It’s a combo of biggest positional need and best available prospect,” Kiper wrote. “Turner had 22.5 sacks over three college seasons and he improved his pressure rates every season. He’s the clear No. 1 edge rusher in this class.”

However, if a team like the Minnesota Vikings or Denver Broncos trades up into the top five for a quarterback, that would remove a franchise like the Chargers at No. 5 from the equation and potentially result in Odunze remaining on the board at No. 8. If the Falcons nabbed Odunze or decided to go cornerback, Chicago would have its choice of pass rushers.

“Their defense is based around their pass rush,” Turner said. “So, you know, being a pass rusher on that team, you get a lot of freedom and stuff like that and a lot of opportunities to make a lot of plays.”

Turner would fit excellently alongside Sweat. However, if Odunze is gone and the Bears have their choice of the top two pass rushers in the draft, they may instead choose to trade back.

Chicago could potentially pick up multiple Day-2 picks this year and/or in 2025 by moving back just a handful of spots with a team like the New Orleans Saints (No. 14) or Indianapolis Colts (No. 15). Turner’s resumé might change the plans of some organizations selecting between No. 9 and the mid-teens, where the Bears would likely land in a trade down.

However, either Turner or Verse should be available at pick Nos. 14 or 15, based on Kiper’s most recent mock. If the Bears can land a top-two edge and also pick up a couple of second-rounders or a second- and third-round pick in the process, that is unquestionably the best value for the No. 9 selection.