The Chicago Bears own three of the top 41 picks in the upcoming NFL draft and have more money to spend than all but four teams, which probably means a second straight offseason of major acquisitions in the Windy City.
Precisely how Chicago will allocate its assets remains a topic of debate, but where the team will focus on a porous roster isn’t in question. The offensive line, particularly the interior of the unit, was the Bears’ biggest weakness and will likely be its primary focus once the team hires a new head coach.
As such, Kristopher Knox of Bleacher Report named the Bears a top potential suitor for Kansas City Chiefs offensive guard Trey Smith, who he ranked as the No. 2 free agent in the upcoming class.
“Smith should be a top target of the Bears, who have a need at right guard and are projected to have $83.2 million of cap space. Chicago’s offseason should be all about improving quarterback Caleb Williams‘ supporting cast, and landing Smith would help do that,” Knox wrote on Wednesday, January 8. “We’ve seen a boom in the interior lineman market for a few reasons. A number of offenses are turning back to the running game … while many defenses have prioritized interior pressure.”
Bears Fielded Bottom-Tier Offensive Line in Caleb Williams’ First Season
GettyChicago Bears offensive tackle Larry Borom.
Smith could set the all-time salary record for an offensive guard, which is why Chicago has at least a chance to pry him away from the two-time defending champion Chiefs.
The Bears’ need for interior offensive linemen is also an incentivizing factor after the unit finished 24th out of 32 teams based on rankings from Pro Football Focus.
“While Chicago’s offensive line failed to reach the potential many saw in it in the preseason, the unit was better than many people gave it credit for. … However, injuries and Caleb Williams’ pocket movement and awareness did the group no favors, resulting in the line allowing the most sacks in the NFL,” Zoltán Buday wrote Wednesday. “The Bears may have surrendered the most sacks in the league, but they were ‘only’ the 12th-worst offensive line in PFF pass-blocking efficiency rating (84.1). The unit allowed 180 total pressures on 682 pass plays.”
Bears Will Prioritize O-Line in Draft if Free Agency Proves Dead End
GettyChicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams.
While Buday is spot on that Williams made things harder on his offensive line in pass protection, it doesn’t change the material fact that this combination of talent was one spot out of the bottom 25% in the league in 2024. That means something has to change, maybe multiple somethings, and in a big way.
Williams acknowledged his role in Chicago’s sack total on multiple occasions throughout the season, which means he should get better in that regard in Year 2. But the Bears won’t count on only that when it comes to trying to improve an offense that fell flat relative to lofty expectations prior to the campaign.
Chicago owns the rights to the Nos. 10, 39 and 41 picks in the first two rounds of the draft and is probably going to use at least one of those selections on an offensive lineman regardless of how things play out with Smith and/or other targets in free agency.
If the Bears don’t land a top-end interior lineman like Smith in March, then it’s entirely feasible the franchise will use two of its top three picks on offensive linemen come April.
