Chicago Bears News: ESPN shreds team’s defensive front

The Chicago Bears have had an active off-season given the amount of cap space the team had and the control they had over the 2023 NFL Draft by holding the rights to the first overall pick before completing the March trade with the Carolina Panthers.

There is no need to rehash the moves that the Bears made since but there is a need to re-iterate that one of the biggest needs that the team had entering the off-season was for a pass rusher. That is a need that the team has yet to address and that is a concern with the team’s training camp set to start at the end of the month.

If there is going to be a significant improvement in the Bears’ defense this season, they must address their lack of a pass rush. If safety Jaquan Brisker is once again the team leader in sacks, then this will once again be a defense that will be torched week after week.

That should be why it comes as no surprise that ESPN tore the Bears’ defensive front to shreds when they reviewed the position units for each NFL team.

"Weakest unit: Defensive front. You could argue that Chicago has a bottom three unit at interior DL and edge rusher. The team spent Day 2 picks on DTs Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens as competition for veterans Justin Jones, Andrew Billings and DeMarcus Walker. Along the edge, Rasheem Green and Terrell Lewis were signed as competition for Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson. This isn’t ideal for a Bears defense last in both EPA and points allowed (27.2) last season. — Clay-Mike Clay via ESPN"

The Chicago Bears defensive front is a major question mark heading into training camp.

The Bears’ biggest additions on the defensive side of the ball this off-season were at the linebacker position with the signings of Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Individually, there is no question that both Edmunds and Edwards can make a significant impact on the Bears’ defense.

The problem is where the Bears’ defense is currently as a collective unit. In each case, the Bears are paying for projection but if the team is unable to get the quarterback with their defensive front, the projection of each player will be altered.

Of the Bears’ current defensive front, the key will be if one of their Day 2 picks in Gervon Dexter or Zacch Pickens can truly emerge as the team’s nose tackle. If either can step in and make an impact right away, that will go a long way toward the Bears’ defense seeing noticeable progression from the bottom of the NFL last season.