Chicago Bears: Updated Needs As Draft Quickly Approaches

The Chicago Bears have been busy this offseason, making several moves. As the NFL Draft approaches, here is an update on their needs.

At the start of this offseason, many people felt this would be very impactful for the Chicago Bears. So far, it certainly has been. General Manager Ryan Poles has been busy trying to turn things around for the team. That includes players and coaches.

Days after the end of the regular season, Poles fired nearly the entire offensive staff, starting with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Getsy struggled to call a game and to get the most out of quarterback Justin Fields.

Fields himself faced the chopping block. He did not show enough of an improvement to keep Poles from using the number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft. As a result, he shipped Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a bag of footballs.

Those were not the only moves made by Poles. Free agency started a couple of weeks ago and Poles went buying with one of the biggest wallets in the league. His first signing was a surprise, signing running back D’Andre Swift. With Swift, the Chicago Bears now have a good three-headed monster in the backfield.

Poles also acquired not one, not two, but three offensive linemen. He traded his fifth-round pick to bring in a player he’s been in love with, Ryan Bates. He signed Bates to an offer sheet in 2022. However, the Buffalo Bills matched the offer. Poles wanted to get his man so he gave up a draft pick to get him.

Poles signed Matt Pryor and Coleman Shelton to the line. Shelton likely starts at center and Pryor (if he can maintain his weight) adds depth.

Other players Poles signed were safeties Kevin Byard and Jonathan Owens, tight end Gerald Everett, quarterback Brett Rypien, and linebacker (and special team specialist) Amen Ogbongbemiga.

Poles also re-signed cornerback Jaylon Johnson and long-snapper Patrick Scales.

Needs at the draft are clearer now

With all those moves, things are now clearer for the Chicago Bears. That is good since Poles now has only four picks. While many people feel that Poles would have to trade the ninth pick in the draft to acquire more solid picks, all indications are that the Chicago Bears will use that pick. That leaves either the third-round or fourth-round pick to work with.

At any rate, here is an updated list of position needs for the draft.

Quarterback

Yes, I understand that the worst-kept secret in the NFL is that the Chicago Bears likely select Caleb Williams with the top pick. However, at the moment this is a big need. Chicago now has Rypien and Tyson Bagent as the quarterbacks. This need will be filled right away.

Wide Receiver

One player I failed to mention as a pickup was wide receiver Keenan Allen. Allen is a Pro Bowl receiver who will help Williams (along with D.J. Moore). He will also have Everett and Cole Kmet as the big tight-end targets. Throw in Swift as a receiver out of the backfield and Williams seems to have a lot of weapons.

There is a question with Allen, however. He is 32 years old and has missed 11 games since turning 30. While he had a good season in 2023 (1,243 receiving yards and 7 touchdowns), we all know how older players can fall off the cliff.

Additionally, Allen is in the final season of his contract. He is due to make $23.1 million this season. Would the Bears sign him to a multiyear deal at age 33? Besides, he was already contemplating retirement after the Los Angeles Chargers asked him to restructure his contract.

Without knowing if Allen will return after the 2024 season, the Chicago Bears need a wide receiver locked up for four or five seasons. If they don’t pick up a receiver in this draft, they could be looking for one next offseason.

Offensive Tackle

With the Chicago Bears likely picking up Williams, Poles wants to ensure he has protection for his new investment. He wants to solidify the bookend tackles do their job and protect the new franchise quarterback.

The Bears appear to have a good right tackle with last year’s tenth-overall pick, Darnell Wright. He had a good rookie season in 2023 and looks to be an anchor there for a while.

Now the Bears need to strengthen the left side. Braxton Jones is a decent left tackle. However, with so much on the line with Williams, the team needs more than just decent. They need someone who can be depended on to keep Williams clean.

Jones has had trouble with the bull rush in his two seasons with the Chicago Bears. Additionally, he has trouble with his footwork at times. Because of that, pass rushers get him off-balance and he sometimes has to hold.

It is time for the Chicago Bears to have an elite left tackle so he can keep the quarterback well-protected.

Edge Rusher

While Williams grabs all the attention this offseason, the Chicago Bears have another player they invested heavily in. Poles traded a valuable second-round draft pick to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat. After bringing him in, he gave Sweat an extension worth $98 million.

Sweat helped transform the defense once he arrived in Chicago. The pass rush was improved and forced quarterbacks to make mistakes. Those mistakes resulted in the secondary getting interceptions. In fact, the Chicago Bears led the league in interceptions.

We saw, though, how opponents could adjust to Sweat. In the regular season finale, the Green Bay Packers showed how to neutralize Sweat. They ran a bunch of bodies at Sweat, making him work to get to the quarterback.

The Bears had no one on the other side to make the Packers pay for putting so many players on Sweat. As a result, Green Bay quarterback Jordan Love easily carved the Chicago Bears defense on his way to an easy victory.

Other teams see that and will do the same. To avoid that, the Bears need someone on the other side of Sweat who can make opponents pay if they run multiple players at Sweat.

Poles did not address that position through free agency. He needs to do it through the draft. There are a few good options available in the draft. If he doesn’t address it, we will see the same thing happen to Sweat that we saw with another great pass rusher, Khalil Mack.

Tight End

While the Chicago Bears have a good duo at tight end with Kmet and Everett, Poles needs to find another one for depth. The Bears had three tight ends last season but only Kmet made an impact. The other two, Robert Tonyan and Marcedes Lewis, were mainly blockers.

With Shane Waldron as the new offensive coordinator, there will be a lot more two-tight-end sets. That sets up Kmet and Everett to have big games. However, they cannot play every snap. The Bears need someone who can step in and give those two some rest.

Some tight ends in this draft class can step in and contribute with their blocking. With Kmet and Everett on the roster, the rookie can ease into the position and get better without needing to play a hugely important part of the offense.

So there you have it. The Chicago Bears have more needs than picks in the draft. Let’s see what magic Poles has up his sleeve when April rolls around. It has already been an offseason to remember. Hopefully, we get more of it.