There is a leading belief that the Chicago Bears will target an edge rusher during the early rounds of the 2024 NFL Draft. Despite signing Dayo Odeyingbo, the team is still a little thin up front, and it would be nice to add a big name across from Montez Sweat. While some rushers such as Shemar Stewart or Mykel Williams, fit what the team may desire from that position, others do not.
Three names that you may have seen mocked to the Bears that may not fit with the team are Jalon Walker, Mike Green, and James Pearce. First, all three played on their feet more often than they had a hand on the ground.
A cautionary of edge rushers for the Chicago Bears in the 2025 NFL Draft
Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has a long history of adding long-armed, big-bodied defensive linemen who can put their hands on the ground and hold the edge. A lot of his edge rushers can also slip inside for speed on pass-rushing downs. Drafting any of these three would be a deviation from that.
Walker is 243 pounds and played linebacker. It makes sense to see him as the top player available and fill a need for the Bears as he is expected to play the edge in the NFL, but he simply does not fit the scheme with that type of playing style.
Mike Green is at least 250 pounds, but his arm length is in the 8th percentile amongst edge rushers who have participated in the NFL combine. He wins primarily based on speed, and there will be questions about whether he can hold his ground in the run game.
Pearce is expected to be a designated pass rusher who will play minimally on run downs. He is just 245 pounds, and standing at over 6’5”, he is a very tall and thin player. None of these traits sounds like they fit what the Bears want.