Following the Chicago Bears’ victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday night, which marked the completion of the team’s 2024 preseason schedule, head coach Matt Eberflus expressed concern about the Bears’ defensive line depth.
With clubs preparing their 53-man rosters ahead of Tuesday’s roster cutoff, the Bears were expected to look for a pass rusher and defensive lineman this weekend.
The Bears addressed their need for a pass rusher on Friday by trading for Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks in exchange for a sixth-round pick. The Bears had three 2025 sixth-round picks before the weekend, and on Saturday, they traded a second sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns.
On Saturday, the Bears traded a sixth-round pick to the Cleveland Browns for defensive tackle Chris Williams.
Matt Eberflus should rest easy now that the Bears have added defensive line depth.
According to Kevin Fishbain, the sixth-round draft pick that the Bears gave up in exchange for Williams was acquired from the Miami Dolphins last season in the Chase Claypool trade. The Bears now have one sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they acquired from the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for quarterback Justin Fields. If Fields plays more than 51% of the Steelers’ offensive snaps this season, the pick may become a fourth-round selection.
As with Taylor, the Bears are starting with a defensive tackle in Williams who is familiar with Eberflus’ cover-2 approach. The Bears needed defensive line depth, and Williams provided an experienced presence in the rotation.
This move earns the Bears an easy B. The goal of having several late-round picks in the same round is to allow teams to make trades like the one the Bears did on Saturday, which provided much-needed depth at a vital position in Eberflus’ defence.
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