Chicago Bears: Evaluating the defensive line for the upcoming season
By Ryan Taylor
The Chicago Bears are on the verge of a possible winning season, after having a successful NFL draft and bringing hope back into the city of Chicago. How well can each group do this season? The d-line is shaping up to be one of the biggest defensive strengths for the upcoming season.
Last season, the Bears were an average defensive line. Without the presence of Eddie Goldman and the horrible disappointment that Robert Quinn turned out to be, the group came up with 35 sacks on the year — ranking 17th in the NFL.
They recorded a 6.6 percent sack rate, which was valued just above average in the NFL ranks. On the positive side, the Bears’ d-line was able to allow just 4.17 adjusted rushing yards per attempt, which nearly ranked in the top-10 in the NFL.
The line was extremely efficient at stopping the run on short-run attacks. Meaning, if the first down or the endzone was only a few yards, the Bears were able to stop the attempt more than most teams.
#Bears DL Bilal Nichols had three sacks in his last 5 games and had a high pressure rate, despite a rotational role in 2020.
— Jacob Infante (@jacobinfante24) July 5, 2021
His improvement has been a lot of fun to watch and should see him be a major player for Chicago's defensive line next year.
How is the Bears defensive line shaping up for this year?
The Bears’ defensive line should be the defense’s biggest strength for next season. They have retained most players except for Brent Urban and Barkevious Mingo. The Bears also drafted an additional lineman in the offseason.
The Starters – Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Khalil Mack, and Robert Quinn.
Retaining all of the starters is a key reason this unit should be the biggest strength for the Bears’ defense this season. There were numerous trade rumors surrounding Hicks and plenty of speculation that Eddie Goldman may retire this offseason. However, it seems the unit is over the hump of leaving Chicago and shaping up to be an excellent asset to the team.
Hicks recorded 3.5 sacks, 49 tackles, and 21 quarterback hits last season. Last season certainly wasn’t Hicks’s best year, but it certainly wasn’t the worst either. Bears fans should expect better with Goldman next to his side this season.
Goldman opted out last season due to COVID-19 and was rumored to have been thinking about retiring for a while until head coach Matt Nagy confirmed that Goldman will play this year. In 2019, Goldman recorded one sack, 29 tackles, and two quarterback hits.
Mack certainly improved from his treacherous 2019 outing. He recorded nine sacks, 50 tackles, and 13 quarterback hits. If Robert Quinn and the rest of the line can create some pressure on the opposite side, he should be due for a big year.
Quinn could not have had a rougher season last year. After coming off of an 11.5 sack season in Dallas the year prior, Quinn made an upsetting two sacks and 20 tackles with the Bears last season. He is the x-factor of the defensive line.
The Backups — Mario Edwards, Bilal Nichols, Angelo Blackson, Khyiris Tonga
The depth of the defensive line is possibly the biggest advantage they have as a unit.
Edwards completed a career-high four sacks last season on top of 17 tackles and seven quarterback hits. The former second-round draft pick should have a long future here in Chicago if he keeps up the pressure.
Nichols is the diamond in the rough lineman for the Bears. He stepped up huge last season in Goldman’s absence to obtain five sacks, 40 tackles, and 13 quarterback hits. He is a rising star on the line that should see a lot of game time this season.
Blackson is making his debut in Chicago this season after spending time in Arizona last season with the Cardinals. He recorded 2.5 sacks and started in nine games for them last season. The veteran should be able to provide more depth to the line.
Tonga was the Bears’ seventh-round draft pick out of BYU this past draft. He is 6-foot-4 and 321 pounds, making him the third heaviest lineman on the current roster. It will be interesting to see how Sean Desai uses him in his rookie stint.
Next. Chicago Bears: Why David Montgomery is the offense’s X-factor. dark
Overall grade — A-
This defensive line is truly one of the better units in the league on paper. With leaders Mack and Hicks and the tremendous amount of depth this core has, it makes for an excellent group that should be able to make a difference on defense.