During his time as Detroit Lions' offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson learned firsthand how important it is to invest in having a good offensive line. So it was no surprise, upon his coming in as head coach, when the Chicago Bears quickly overhauled the interior of their offensive line last offseason with two trades and a free agent signing.
The results have, unsurprisingly, proven that investment in the big boys up-front to be correct. Caleb Williams has been sacked just 23 times through 15 games, after being sacked a league-high 68 times last season. Last year's 25th-ranked run game is second in the league so far this season, with robust efficiency numbers (particularly since the bye week) to back it up.
However, also aided by rookie Kyle Mongai emerging as another viable option, D'Andre Swift has looked like a completely different running back compared to last season.
Drew Dalman has been what Ben Johnson envisioned him being
Joe Thuney's resume as one of the best guards in the NFL preceded him when he arrived in Chicago via a trade from the Kansas City Chiefs, and he has delivered. Jonah Jackson, reunited with Johnson via a trade with the Los Angeles Rams, has found his footing at right guard after mostly being a left guard previously. Both enter Week 17 among Pro Football Focus' 12 highest-graded guards.
Then there's Drew Dalman, the free agent brought in to work in between the two trade acquisitions. He is PFF's seventh-highest graded center entering Week 17 (sixth if you remove Ryan Kelly, who will played just 329 snaps this season), and he's one of just two (minus Kelly) in the top-10 with 70-plus grades as both a run and a pass blocker.
In each of his last two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, Dalman was a top-five graded center by PFF. So his continued excellence has not a real shocker, and he earned his first career Pro Bowl nod this year.
Bradley Locker of PFF recently ranked the top-20 free agent signings from the 2025 NFL offseason, with the (obvious?) criteria the player had to have switched teams.
Dalman came in fifth on the list.
"The ex-Falcon has played like one of the better centers in the league in his first year working with Caleb Williams. Dalman’s 78.4 overall PFF grade is sixth among qualified centers, and he’s one of four at the position with a 71.0-plus PFF pass- and run-blocking mark. Additionally, his 0.39 WAR is third among his counterparts."
"The Bears field the league’s fourth-highest-graded offensive line, and Dalman is an inextricable part of that."
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Johnson, in deference to his time with the Lions, knew he needed to find a Chicago-style version of Frank Ragnow. Dalman has clearly fit the bill in his first year as a Bear, and at 27 years old, he's probably not going anywhere for a while.