Chicago Bears Have Eyes For Mammoth DT In 2024 Draft
The Chicago Bears have lots of work ahead of them after the 2023 season. It is evident they are trending in the right direction. GM Ryan Poles has assembled a young, athletic, and aggressive roster on both sides of the ball. The defense has rapidly improved since ranking dead last a season ago. On offense, they are much better at controlling the trenches and have added more firepower. Most conversations will center on what they do at quarterback. However, Poles has a far bigger responsibility than that.
His job is adding talent at every position, even ones that may or may not seem set. For example, the Bears selected three defensive tackles in the 2023 draft, headlined by Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. Does that mean they will ignore that position next spring? Not at all. According to a source, one notable name has a lot of fans inside Halas Hall. That is Texas defensive tackle T’Vondre Sweat. Many evaluators consider him the best nose tackle in the country. Not only is he huge (340 lbs) and powerful, but he’s surprisingly quick and athletic.
The Chicago Bears’ interest in Sweat is understandable.
Andrew Billings has become their reliable presence at nose tackle. It is why he earned a contract extension. That said, he will turn 29 years old in 2024. With bigger players, it is hard to tell when a decline is coming. The smart thing for the Bears is finding somebody who can be his long-term replacement. Sweat fits that profile perfectly. He’s a taller, longer version of Billings. He might be more athletic, too. He likely won’t be much of an interior pass rusher, but he will command extra attention from blockers.
Nobody should be surprised by this. Poles has demonstrated since he took over that he covets linemen with three key traits: size, power, and athleticism. Sweat checks all three boxes. Current projections have him going somewhere in the late 2nd or 3rd round. Much of it will depend on how well he tests during the pre-draft process. There is no question he would make the Chicago Bears defensive line tougher to deal with. He and Dexter would be a sight nobody wants to see.
One Ryan Poles QB Scenario People Need To Take Seriously
Right now, the debates are settled into two camps. Either GM Ryan Poles will keep Justin Fields for another year, or he will use a likely top-2 draft pick on one of the top quarterbacks in the 2024 draft. That means either Caleb Williams or Drake Maye. It makes sense. The Chicago Bears currently hold the rights to the #1 pick next year, thanks to the trade with Carolina. At the same time, Fields has shown some signs of improvement from last year. It will be an interesting decision once the season’s final five games are concluded.
Except there is one problem. Those aren’t the only two quarterback scenarios on the table. A third exists. There is a possibility Poles may prefer to target some of the top non-QB prospects in the top 10. There are several highly-touted ones. Then, he could look to target some of the second-tier quarterbacks. This group comprises names like Bo Nix of Oregon, Michael Penix of Washington, and J.J. McCarthy of Michigan. All three have played excellent football this year. Penix and Nix put on a show in the Pac-12 championship.
Poles could choose to trade down from the lower of his two 1st rounders and scoop up one of them. That way, he secures a quarterback he feels the Bears can win with and loads of extra draft capital.
Ryan Poles has already shown his approach could be different.
He had a chance to snag Bryce Young or C.J. Stroud this past spring and passed. Whatever they showed him on tape and in interviews wasn’t enough. He also proved more than willing to trade down from #1 overall and even out of the top 5 entirely. It worked out, too. D.J. Moore is playing like a superstar, and Darnell Wright looks like a keeper at right tackle. Poles likely feels confident he could enact a similar strategy again. It comes down to which quarterback he’d want and where he thinks they will go in the draft.
People aren’t set on the range Nix, Penix, or McCarthy will go. Some have them as mid-to-late 1st round picks. Others think they’re high 2nd rounders. It will depend on how the three perform in the pre-draft process. Each has already made a strong case on the Field. Nix was outstanding all year. Penix and McCarthy will be playing in the college football playoff. Ryan Poles will undoubtedly be watching them in the coming weeks. If they finish strong, he may fall off the Williams/Maye wagon.
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