7 Defensive linemen who could join the Chicago Bears in 2023
By Peter Jurich
An elite defensive lineman the Chicago Bears could trade for
DeForest Buckner
A first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Buckner has been nothing short of an elite interior defensive lineman. At 6’7″ and just under 300 lbs, Buckner is a towering figure who takes up an insane amount of space up front and is a real threat to not only get to the quarterback, but he gets his hands up at the line as well as stop the run.
Through seven seasons, Buckner has missed only two games and has accumulated 50.5 sacks, 443 total tacks, six forced fumbles, and 19 batted balls. Originally a first-round pick for the San Francisco 49ers in 2016, the Indianapolis Colts sent a first-round pick for Buckner ahead of the 2021 season. Buckner played under current Bears coach Matt Eberflus during his time as the defensive coordinator in Indianapolis, so there is certainly a player-coach connection already in place.
Indianapolis, who is struggling in their own right this season, may look to move on from some of their more high-earning players who have less time ahead of them such as Buckner. As the team traded a first-round pick for him two years ago, the Bears may be able to acquire the former Oregon Duck for less than that. A second-round pick and another late-round pick in the 2023 or 2024 NFL Draft may do the trick.
It’s hard to envision the Bears trading many of their current picks in order to get players when they could just draft young players for the rebuild. Buckner has, at least in my mind, proven himself as a top-two defensive tackle, alongside only Aaron Donald. If there is even a mention across the league that Buckner is available for trade, the Chicago Bears should be at the front of the line trying to acquire him as he can truly lead an NFL defense on and off the field.