The Chicago Bears did a great job of adding key positions in free agency, and they put themselves in a spot where they do not need to make many major additions in the 2024 NFL draft. Now, they can let the board come to them.
Still, while they are going to be able to take the top player on their board in most cases, the team will also have to look for certain positions as well. Which positions should the Chicago Bears be looking into in the 2024 NFL draft?
4. The Chicago Bears should still draft a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL draft
The Bears did more than most fans could have imagined to add to the wide receiver room this offseason. With the addition of Keenan Allen via trade, the team has their best wide receiver duo since Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffrey, and it is probably a better duo than that.
Still, even in this situation, a wide receiver is a need. Behind these two is Tyler Scott, who certainly could be the third option, but last year, he had just 168 yards and was struggling to beat out Velus Jones and Trent Taylor for playing time down the stretch. Speaking of Jones, he is essentially a bust now, but he is competing to be wide receiver four behind Scott. Dante Pettis, Colin Johnson, and Nsimba Webster are the only other names on the roster.
The Bears need to add a legitimate third wideout; then they could push Scott to the fourth option, Jones would be fifth, and the rest would be right at the end of the roster. Heck, it may be smart to draft an early-round option and a late-round option to push Jones into that fifth or sixth position. Who should they draft?
3. The Chicago Bears need some help at edge rusher
The Chicago Bears have slowly but surely built up this edge rusher room. Montez Sweat was a big trade, and DeMarcus Walker was signed in free agency last season. They just signed Jacob Martin this offseason, and he is more viewed as depth. Lastly, the Bears drafted Dominique Robinson.
Robinson is entering his third year, so the team may not be ready to give up on him yet. He was always going to be someone who needed patience; that was known when he was drafted. Still, the Bears did not see any progress from year one to year two, and they have to be thinking about a better option.
In a perfect world, they can draft someone who pushes Walker down the totem pole into the third edge rusher spot. He is best as a rotational threat who can slide inside and out. However, even adding someone who can mix in with Walker as a third rusher, or at the very worst, upgrade over Robinson. An edge rusher has to get drafted at some point next month.
2. When will the Chicago Bears draft a defensive lineman?
The Chicago Bears lost Justin Jones, and they did not do much to replace him. To be fair, they are expecting both Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens to take a step forward in their second NFL season. They also extended Andrew Billings last season, so three spots are taken.
Still, they had all three on the roster last season, and even if you add a good chunk of snaps to Dexter and Pickens, you would still need someone to fill a large portion. They currently have Michael Dwumfour and Byron Cowart in that role. While both could compete in training camp, they should be competing with a draft pick.
If the team does take a DT high, that means they do not trust Dexter and Pickens to take a big step. If they do not, they still have to find some depth, so do not be surprised if a later-round defensive tackle gets drafted.
1. We know the Chicago Bears will draft Caleb Williams in 2024
This is the most obvious position on the entire list. The Chicago Bears pick first overall, and they are going to be drafting Caleb Williams with that pick. There is not much question about it, especially after the team traded Justin Fields to the Pittsburgh Steelers.
As they stand, the Bears have Tyson Bagent and Brett Rypien on the roster. Bagent is a solid backup option that can get you through a game or two, and Rypien is exactly what you should expect to see when you are looking for a third quarterback. They are missing the starter, though.
Williams has flaws, no person, let alone quarterback is without question marks. However, he is clearly the highest ceiling option in the draft. The Bears purposefully left this need open because it is not a secret. They have the first pick, and they will draft a quarterback.