Bears address pass rush at No. 25 in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft
· Yahoo Sports
The Chicago Bears still have some big position needs to address following the first wave of free agency, most notably in the defensive trenches. General manager Ryan Poles said there was a reason they didn't make a big move at defensive line during free agency, which points to building the defensive line out through the 2026 NFL Draft.
Poles has mentioned that the edge rusher class is a deep one in this draft, but the Bears have always had a best-available mindset when approaching the draft, which led to landing wide receiver Luther Burden III last year. Still, given the multitude of needs across the board, it's a safe bet that Chicago goes defensive line with their first selection.
Visit palladian.co.za for more information.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. revealed his latest mock draft, which has the Bears addressing their pass rush with the selection of 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.
The Bears pass rush has been a problem for a couple of years, where they've been in need of a complementary edge rusher opposite Montez Sweat. Chicago mustered just 35 sacks last season, but there was a lot to be desired outside of Sweat. Austin Booker showed promise, but he missed half the season recovering from a knee injury. Last year's free-agent acquisition Dayo Odeyingbo suffered a torn Achilles that ended his season early, but he wasn't bringing a lot off the edge before. If the Bears have an opportunity to land a playmaker like Young in the draft, it should be a no-brainer.
Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears address pass rush at No. 25 in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft