Chicago Bears: Biggest ripple effects from 2023 NFL Draft picks
By Ryan Heckman
Ripple effects from the Chicago Bears’ 2023 NFL Draft class: Bears will have to sign a veteran pass rusher
One of the areas the Bears did not address is on the edge, where they didn’t draft a pass rusher. Their top three pass rushers are Trevis Gipson, Dominique Robinson and free agent signing DeMarcus Walker.
That leaves the door open for the Bears to go out and sign a free agent defensive end now, and there are still a lot of them available. One of the bigger names still looking for a team is Yannick Ngakoue, who is only 28 years old.
Ngakoue has never finished a season with less than 8.0 sacks, but somehow has made his way to several teams over the course of his career already. Should the Bears sign a player like him, their defense would look fairly complete. They addressed the interior defensive line by drafting three, as we’ve established already. Now, it’s up to Poles to go out and find another pass rusher.
One more name to keep an eye on in terms of free agents: 27-year-old Poona Ford who has been an integral part of the Seattle defense for a couple of years now. He would be another excellent signing, giving the Bears adequate depth off the edge.