GM Ryan Poles runs the show for the Chicago Bears each off-season. Nobody has ever disputed that. He has the final say in every personnel decision. However, he's also made it clear since he arrived that he takes the opinions and wants of the coaching staff very seriously. A cohesive relationship between a GM and head coach is vital to the success of a team. He learned that over several years watching Andy Reid, John Dorsey, and Brett Veach in Kansas City. That is why if Eberflus finds a player he truly covets, Poles may work hard to acquire him.
It happened once before when the head coach insisted the defense would get much better if the team acquired Pro Bowl middle linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. He wasn't wrong. The 25-year-old had 113 tackles and a career-high four interceptions. Defensively, the Bears jumped from 29th to 12th. Eberflus is always a key part of the draft evaluation process. While he won't throw his weight around as some coaches might, there figures to be at least one player in this class he will insist Poles try to land if possible.
After studying the 2024 crop of players for some time, it is a fair assumption that the player will be Missouri defensive end Darius Robinson.
Robinson checks all the boxes of a Matt Eberflus guy.
He had a breakout year for the Tigers in 2023, posting 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. The crazy part is all of those sacks came over the last nine games of the season. He was straight dominating. This carried over into the Senior Bowl, where he gave opposing blockers fits in one-on-one drills all week. What makes Robinson such a terror is his unique mix of size, power, length, and quickness. He's 6'5, 290 lbs, with 34-inch arms. His power is impressive, and he has enough change-of-direction skills to be a problem on stunts.
One thing we've learned about Matt Eberflus over the years is he loves players of this archetype. They must be big, long, and versatile. Denico Autry was 6'5, 285 lbs, and had a similar profile when the two were together in Indianapolis. He had 20 sacks and 32 QB hits across three seasons. Star defensive tackle DeForest Buckner was 6'7, 295 lbs. He had 16.5 sacks and 44 QB hits in two seasons. Now you have Montez Sweat, the Bears' recent trade acquisition. He's 6'6, 262 lbs, collecting six sacks and 14 QB hits in nine games upon arrival last October.
Eberflus has a type, and Robinson fits it to perfection. It will be interesting to see if the Bears find a way to get him this April.
