Until the Chicago Bears officially make their selection at No. 10, fans and pundits will speculate what the team will do with their pick. Their free agency additions have made it difficult to predict how the Bears will operate.
Offensive line was clearly the team’s biggest need, but then they went out and traded for Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson before signing center Drew Dalman to a three-year deal. Chicago then upgraded their trenches, signing defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett to massive contracts. While skill position players might be the most ‘glaring’ need on the roster, No. 10 may be a little rich for their blood.
Instead, the Bears can double down in the trenches. That’s how Ben Standig of The Athletic sees the draft happening. Even with Odeyingbo now in the fold, Standig has edge rusher Mykel Williams going to Chicago at No. 10 in his latest mock draft.
“Signing free agent Dayo Odeyingbo should not preclude the Bears from pursuing an edge defender, whether they’re monitoring a Trey Hendrickson trade or dipping into this deep class,” Standig wrote. “The potential wrinkle is whether new head coach Ben Johnson wants to replicate Jahmyr Gibbs’ running back electricity in Chicago.”
What Mykel Williams offers Chicago Bears
Williams spent three years at Georgia, appearing in 40 games. He began his tenure by winning a national championship in 2022. Williams ended it by racking up 67 tackles, 23 of them being for a loss and 14 sacks.
The edge rush is considered an athletic prospect that is only expected to grow at the NFL level. He is a bit of a project and may not be as sure of a thing as others going in the top 10. However, if you wanted true explosion off the edge, Williams provides it in spades.
As he prepares to learn his NFL destiny, Williams earned a comparison to current Buffalo Bills defensive lineman Gregory Rousseau by Lane Zierlein of NFL.com. Rosseau matched his career-high with eight sacks in 2024.
“An upside prospect with loads of traits, Williams simply needs more snaps and more time to fill out his frame,” Zierlein wrote. “He is an explosive athlete who uses his exceptional length to keep tackles and tight ends at the end of his punch. He plays a little too tall at the point and needs to get stronger to shed blocks more quickly, but he plays with good physicality in the trenches and is never pushed around.”
“He’s still learning moves and counters but already has a big bull rush, good secondary effort and the closing burst to become a sack blanket in the pocket,” Zierlein continued. “He’s not there yet, but Williams’ improvement to become an impactful 4-3 base end feels inevitable.”
All eyes will be on the offense as head coach Ben Johnson comes into town. However, Chicago knows their defense must be lights out as well to make a true impact in 2025.
Bears pass rush
The Chicago Bears finished their 2024 campaign ranked 16th in sacks with 40. Montez Sweat led the way with 5.5. As the Bears prepare to undergo any Dennis Allen defensive changes, getting Sweat back on track will be key.
In his final season with the Washington Commanders before his trade to Chicago, Sweat put up 12.5 sacks on the way to his first Pro Bowl. Outside of the 2021 season, Sweat didn’t have fewer than seven sacks during his entire Commanders tenure. Sweat has put up six and 5.5 sacks over his two seasons with the Bears. But those six sacks came over just nine games. The Bears know the defensive weapon they have in Sweat and want to do everything in their power to get him headed towards the opposing quarterback.
Chicago took a big step in ensuring that when they signed Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract. Over his four years with the Indianapolis Colts, Odeyingbo racked up 106 tackles, 46 quarterback hits and 16.5 sacks. He is coming off of back-to-back 17 QB hit campaigns and put up eight sacks in 2023. Teams can no longer just focus on Sweat when Odeyingbo is running at them. Overall, the Bears have a much more versatile pass rush.
Adding Williams to the mix would certainly reinforce that. An athletic specimen off the edge, Williams would give Chicago a ferocious trio with Sweat and Odeyingbo. Allen would certainly be seeing fireworks in year one.
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