The Chicago Bears are entering uncharted territory regarding the NFL draft. Since taking over in 2022, GM Ryan Poles has worked exclusively with top 10 picks in the 1st round, aside from that first year when the Bears had no 1st rounder. You had 10th overall pick Darnell Wright, 1st and 9th overall picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, and 10th overall pick Colston Loveland. With nine wins this season, there is no chance the Bears will be picking that high again. That means Poles and head coach Ben Johnson must face the challenge of finding a difference-maker for their team, despite having no advantage in draft position.
Can they pull it off? Field Yates of ESPN thinks they will. He revealed his first mock draft of the year. The Bears end up picking 23rd overall, indicating they make the playoffs. Their reward for this success? Landing the exact type of player they need.
"23. Chicago Bears (9-4)
Cashius Howell, Edge, Texas A&M
Coordinator Dennis Allen's defense has exceeded expectations with an NFL-high 27 takeaways despite plenty of injuries. But this team needs a spark on the defensive line opposite 29-year-old Montez Sweat. And at this spot, Howell would be the most explosive pass rusher on the board. He stepped into a much larger role for the Aggies this season and thrived, as his 11.5 sacks are tied for fourth most in the FBS. His ability to torque his body and turn a corner tightly is among the best in the class. The Bears are tied for the worst pass rush rate in the NFL (28.6%), so this match makes sense."
Howell is no joke.
You can usually tell a player will be a good pro based on two factors: athletic ceiling and college production. Howell has both. He's an explosive athlete with terrific bend and closing speed. Both are things the Bears desperately lack. He is also productive. Over the past three seasons (38 games), he has 25 sacks and 33 tackles for a loss.
The Chicago Bears will face a big dilemma with Howell.
That is his size. Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen has long shown a preference for defensive ends who meet certain thresholds. They must be at least 6'5" and 260 lbs, with long arms measuring 34 inches or more. Howell doesn't meet any of those requirements. He's listed at 6'4, 248 lbs with 30-inch arms. There was only one instance where Allen accepted drafting a player of that type of build. It was Von Miller in 2011. As good as Howell is, he isn't the pure specimen Miller was. That makes selling him to the Chicago Bears' defensive coordinator a challenge.
One thing is certain. Howell would bring a dimension to the defensive front that they don't have. Speed has been a constant issue for Chicago this year. They've been relying almost exclusively on size and power. While that has positive qualities, it often leads to significant pass rush inconsistencies. You desperately need lightning to the thunder for everything to work. Howell would be that missing ingredient. Sometimes you have to look past the measurable and trust what the film tells you. This guy can play.
