The Chicago Bears have made some moves over the offseason to help replace some key departures from free agency, but one position has yet to get the proper attention: edge rusher.
Only six teams in the NFL had fewer sacks than the Bears last season, with Montez Sweat leading the team with 10, and defensive tackle Gervon Dexter finishing second with six. Bears fans were hoping that the team would go after Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson, but that did not happen, leaving the NFL Draft as the only other option. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. released his latest mock draft, in which the Bears take Missouri edge rusher Zion Young with the 25th overall pick.
"The Bears had 35 sacks (tied for 22nd) and a lowly 28.0% pressure rate (29th) last season. Montez Sweat had 10 of those sacks, but there wasn't much beyond him. Dayo Odeyingbo was signed last offseason to be the second guy off the edge, but he managed one sack over eight games before an Achilles injury ended his season. Despite struggling to find consistent quarterback pressure for a few years now, Chicago hasn't used a top-50 pick on an edge rusher since Leonard Floyd went ninth in 2016. Let's change that. Young had 6.5 sacks and 46 pressures last season, playing with power and a full-go motor. He'd bring some intensity to the Bears' front."
Bears select Zion Young in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft
At this point, the Bears only have two logical options with the first round pick: select an edge rusher or a safety. Both positions need a young starter to step in and help the team out.
Young has speed and can get off the line quickly to reach the quarterback. Pairing him with Sweat is only going to help the Bears' pass rush out and give them some stability going into the future.
While Sweat and Young would be great, there is still hope that Odeyingbo and Austin Booker can step up and give the Bears a boost with the edge rushers. There is more hope with Booker after a strong close to the second half of the season, but Odeyingbo will depend on how he recovers from his injury.
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If the Bears don't get a premier edge rusher in the NFL Draft, the city of Chicago is going to lose its mind in anger, so they better find a way to address it. Young would help with that.