The Chicago Bears wanted to revamp the offensive line during the offseason and spent big money and draft picks to get it done.
One of the most important moves was bringing in center Drew Dalman, who spent the last four years with the Atlanta Falcons. Chicago signed Dalman to a three-year, $42 million contract to become the starter.
His journey from Atlanta to Chicago was one of interest as he was a backup at the beginning and turned out to be one of the best young centers in the NFL. He's become one of the top successful hidden gems from Day 3 of the NFL Draft in the last few years.
Dalman receives honorable mention for being a steal from the NFL Draft
Bleacher Report writer Matt Holder listed the biggest gems from NFL Drafts in the last five years. While discussing the Detroit Lions' wide receiver Amon-Ra St. Brown, Holder had Dalman as an honorable mention from the 2021 NFL Draft.
Atlanta selected Dalman in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL Draft. He became a full-time starter in 2022, as he has been in the starting lineup in 40 of his 57 career games. Despite that time missed, Dalman ranked fourth on PFF's overall grade among 64 centers with 78.8.
Last year, he only played nine games, as he missed the middle portion of the season due to a high ankle sprain. He missed games from Week 4 through Week 12.
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Chicago mightily struggles on the offensive line after allowing an NFL-high 68 sacks in 2024. Dalman is the focal point of getting the line back on track.
2025 is a pivotal season for new Bears head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles. They hope to get production from Dalman that will help turn things around in a hurry in Chicago.