The Chicago Bears could still be looking for pass-rushing help next offseason if a clear-cut starter does not emerge between rookie Austin Booker and veteran DeMarcus Walker during the 2024 season. And if they are, ESPN’s Matt Miller thinks there could be a perfect first-round target for them in the 2025 NFL draft.
Miller recently made early projections for all 32 first-round picks in the 2025 draft and predicted the Bears will select Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams with the No. 17 overall pick. The versatile 20-year-old has been eyed for a breakout as a pass rusher in 2024 with the Bulldogs planning to play him more exclusively at outside linebacker.
The Draft Network’s Keith Sanchez also labeled Williams as “Pro Bowl caliber” in his draft profile for him, emphasizing his arm length, athleticism and overall strength.
“The 6-foot-5, 265-pound junior has experience playing both inside and outside alignments, but his future is off the edge in the pros,” Miller wrote in his July 2 mock. “His nine sacks in two seasons of rotational work point to the impact he can make with full-time reps in 2024. Williams’ combination of power and a sudden first step could get him drafted in the top 10.”
Mykel Williams Could be Missing Piece for Bears’ Defensive Line Opposite Montez Sweat in 2025
The Bears are taking a risky approach with their defensive line at the moment. They have a foundational piece in star pass rusher Montez Sweat, who signed a four-year, $96 million contract last November that keeps him tied to the team through 2027. Aside from him, though, Booker is the most enticing long-term starting candidate, and he is more of a developmental project at this point than an instant-impact player.
Maybe Booker surprises and catches on quickly at the NFL level, presenting them with a potential long-term starter opposite Sweat under contract for the same period of time. If there are still questions about his viability after the 2024 season, though — which would be perfectly normal for a rookie — Williams could offer them the missing piece.
Williams must still prove he can be the high-level pass rusher everyone expects he will be during the 2024 season with the Bulldogs, but he checks all of the Bears’ boxes in terms of his measurables. He’s a big, long and fast defender with imposing physicality that allows him to be effective both off the edge and inside as a three-technique tackle.
The Bears entertaining Williams as a possible first-round selection might not even require Booker to miss the mark. Even if Booker exceeds expectations, Matt Eberflus might feel his defense can thrive with a high-level rookie investment in the position, especially with his tendency to rotate and “platoon” his defensive linemen.
Bears Will Have Other 1st-Round Choices to Bolster Their Defensive Line Other Than Mykel Williams
Williams could be on the Bears’ draft radar when they head into the 2025 offseason, but so, too, could several of the other pass rushers in the class with first-round potential.
If the Bears wind up picking at No. 17 overall (as Miller projects), it is unlikely they will have a shot at either Tennessee’s James Pearce Jr. or LSU’s Harold Perkins Jr. — both of whom could be top-10 selections in 2025 with strong finishes to their college careers. Penn State’s Abdul Carter, Texas A&M’s Nic Scourton and Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau could all be in the mix with Williams, though, if the Bears intend to find an edge.
Chicago might also prefer to find an interior defensive lineman depending on which of their young talents emerge during the 2024 season. The Bears are still hopeful that Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens — both Day 2 picks in 2023 — can embrace larger roles for their defense in their second seasons. If the returns are mediocre from one or both of them, though, it could pressure the Bears into a move in the first round.
Michigan’s Mason Graham appears to be the big fish for the defensive interior ahead of the start of the 2024 college football season, but others — including teammate Kenneth Grant — could enter their names into first-round contention by the end of the year.
