One way or another, the focus of the upcoming draft for the Chicago Bears will be the defensive side of the ball. The specifics of that will be driven by who is available, with the potential to fill a notable offensive need if things take shape that way.
At the recent league meetings in Phoenix, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times, Bears general manager Ryan Poles made it clear what kind of players he wants to add to Dennis Allen's defense in the draft.
"If you go back to teams that D.A. has had, specifically the defenses in New Orleans, there’s an aggressiveness, there’s a violence and there’s a speed that they play with", Poles said. "So we’re trying to match that. That’s part of our evaluation process with the rookie class — prioritizing the guys that fit perfectly or that kind of borderline fit and need some development. And then we really try to push aside the guys that don’t fit.”
Toolsy edge rusher prospect looks like a late-round fit for the Bears
Justin Melo of SI.com has matched each team with a developmental draft prospect who looks like a fit. For the Bears, with the idea they'll also address the position with an earlier pick, he honed in on Texas edge rusher Trey Moore.
"The Chicago Bears may draft multiple pass rushers. Texas' Trey Moore is flying slightly under the radar. The former Longhorns standout was better at the NFL Combine than given national credit for, leaping a 38.5-inch vertical and 10-foot broad jump. Moore is a 46-game starter who had 22 sacks in two seasons at UTSA (2022-23) before playing a rotational role at Texas."
That 38.5-inch vertical for Moore was the sixth-best mark among edge rushers at the NFL Combine this year, and the 10-foot broad jump was also a top-10 mark at the position.
Regardless of the level of college competition, it's hard to argue with production. Over two years as a starter at UTSA, Moore had it, with the aforementioned 22 sacks and 35.5 tackles for loss. In that rotational role over two seasons at Texas, Moore had 14.5 tackles for loss and 8.5 sacks.
Evaluations of the 6-foot-2, 243-pound Moore reveal someone teams may see as an edge rusher/off-the-ball linebacker tweener, without the full array of skills necessary to play either position well at the next level. That general view of him also puts him in the developmental category, fitting the premise of Melo's list.
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Development was a keyword in Poles' comments about defensive players at the league meetings. Someone who needs some development, but is otherwise regarded as a fit, will have a place on the Bears' draft board of defensive prospects. There's a lot to like about Moore, and it's easy to see the Bears liking him more than a lot of other teams do.