The Case for Defensive Line at Nine

The final part of our miniseries demonstrates just why it’s critical the Chicago Bears beef up the defensive line and they need to do it early.

In our final leg of “Making the Case,” we will examine the reasons why addressing the defensive line is the best plan for the ninth overall pick.

Thus far, we’ve addressed the case for selecting a wide receiver at nine here.

And we’ve addressed the case for selecting an offensive tackle here.

While both those cases are compelling, is the defensive line more so? Let’s dive in.

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Did you watch Chicago Bears football in 2023? If the answer is yes, then you know the answer to this question:

What is the biggest problem on the Chicago Bears roster?

Everyone comes back with the same answer: the defensive line. The trenches on the defensive side of the ball are, without question, the furthest away from being a strong NFL unit.

Even with the addition of Montez Sweat, the defensive line didn’t become a great unit. It had a good stretch but certainly wasn’t as strong the last few games of the season.

Before Sweat, the line wasn’t even functional, it was embarrassing.

When you look at the 2023 line and compare it to the 2024 version, you’ll notice something: it’s gotten worse. It’s not tremendously worse, but they lost Justin Jones and didn’t replace him with any type of meaningful player.

The lack of focus on the defensive line makes you wonder if Ryan Poles is telegraphing what he’s going to do at nine. It seemed obvious that the Bears were going to address the offensive line with their first pick in 2023, so much so that fans, myself included, convinced themselves that Poles wouldn’t do that because it was too obvious.

Enter Darnell Wright.

This year, when you look at the Bears’ needs heading into free agency, they kept Jaylon Johnson, added Keenan Allen, Gerald Everett, and D’Andre Swift, and replaced Eddie Jackson with Kevin Byard. They even improved the center position on the offensive line.

They didn’t address the defensive line. At. All.

The worst positional group on the team and they didn’t improve it one iota.

Will Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens improve this year? Hopefully. Dexter certainly looked the part of a solid defensive tackle, Pickens did not, but did Dexter look the part of a true difference-making 3-Tech? That is certainly something to question.

The best defenses in the league almost always have disruptive interior defensive linemen. Not just space fillers, but players that are regularly penetrating and getting to the quarterback.

Out on the edge, Sweat is a fabulous foundational piece, but on the other side, DeMarcus Walker is a solid rotational player but nothing more than that. The Bears need another pass rusher, whether that pressure comes from the edge opposite Sweat or on the interior, you could make the argument for either, but it needs to happen.

It doesn’t matter how good the back seven is with this Chicago Bears defense, if the front four can’t create pressure, the defense is going to be susceptible to giving up points.

The Bears are in luck.

Sure, some special wide receivers could be available at nine. There are a few offensive tackles that could make an impact as well. But there are defensive linemen to be had as well.

My personal favorite is defensive tackle Byron Murphy. Murphy will generate pressure and he will do it as a rookie. He has rare combinations of athleticism, speed, and power and has a pass rush win rate better than Jalen Carter’s final year at Georgia.

If Edge is your cup of tea, look no further than Alabama’s Dallas Turner. Several NFL media members have talked about Turner needing to be in a 3-4 scheme, but Dane Brugler was on the Bears Banter podcast earlier this week and sees no issues with Turner in a 4-3. Turner is an elite pass-rushing talent who doesn’t have injury and longevity concerns like the draft’s other elite rusher, Laiatu Latu.

Jared Verse isn’t my favorite prospect, but if Matt Eberflus wants a big, powerful edge setter, Verse will do that for Flus and do it well. He won’t be an elite pass rusher, but he will be a solid player for years and with Andrew Billings and Sweat, create one of the best run-stuffing defensive lines in the league.

The Bears have DJ Moore and Keenan Allen at wide receiver, Poles has put together a solid offensive line, but this defensive line is, at present, offensive. Poles hasn’t addressed it and that’s because he’s going to do it with the ninth pick.

It’s the smart move. It’s the obvious move. It’s the only move.