Recent Chicago Bears Free Agent Signing May Hint At Their Draft Plans

GM Ryan Poles won't say what he plans to do with the NFL draft getting closer. Nobody should expect him to. That said, his actions with the Chicago Bears are telling the story. Justin Fields was traded on Saturday. That makes it crystal clear that the team is taking a quarterback at #1 overall. With that no longer a discussion, things have shifted to the #9 pick. People can't quite pinpoint what Poles will do there. Some think the Bears will still take a wide receiver, but that seems unlikely after the team added Keenan Allen via trade. Offensive tackle might be possible, but it doesn't feel like they're unhappy with Braxton Jones.

That leaves only one position left they haven't addressed with any significant resources: edge rusher. Yannick Ngakoue is gone and unlikely to return. The Bears don't have anybody of note across from Montez Sweat. It makes sense they'd hope to land somebody in the draft. Not only that, but we might also get an idea of a specific type of player they want. That was illustrated by their most recent signing, defensive end Jake Martin. Typically, the Bears prefer bigger linemen with long arms. Martin, at 6'2 and 245 lbs with 32-inch arms, is none of those things.

However, he does have one big advantage. He's fast. Pass rushers with speed off the edge can be so valuable when paired with a powerhouse like Sweat. It appears Chicago wants to embrace that formula, as team insider Brad Biggs has hinted for weeks.

Determining the Chicago Bears' target becomes easy with those parameters.

If they truly seek speed, three pass rush prospects stand out as potential targets. One is Alabama's Dallas Turner, who ran a blistering 4.46 at the scouting combine and has 34-inch arms as well. Then there is Chop Robinson of Penn State. While not as polished as Turner, his 4.48 in the 40 and flashes on tape show a player on the cusp of big things. Last but not least is Jared Verse of Florida State. His 4.58 is more modest in the speed department but still impressive at 255 lbs. Not only that, but he has a power element to his game the other two don't.

Presuming the Chicago Bears stay at #9 overall, there is a good chance at least two of those players will be available. From there, it comes down to who they prefer. Head coach Matt Eberflus and new defensive coordinator Eric Washington will play pivotal roles in that decision. Adding that second pass rusher could send this defense back to elite status for the first time since 2018. Maybe the Bears choose to double down at wide receiver, but all the signs point in a clear direction.