Bear Digest

2025 NFL rankings project huge upgrade for Chicago Bears offensive line

A position that has given the Chicago Bears headaches for several years should now be a strength in 2025 and beyond.
Pete Martuneac|
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Ever since Cody Whitehair's Pro Bowl 2018 season, while playing center, the Chicago Bears have struggled mightily at that position. It's been a revolving door of subpar talent ever since, but this six-year run of incompetence appears set to come to an end in 2025 thanks to GM Ryan Poles' best free agency signing of 2025.

In their annual rankings of each position, Pro Football Focus has ranked the Bears' Drew Dalman as the fifth-best center in the NFL heading into the 2025 season. In fact, Dalman is a whole three spots ahead of the next NFC North center, Minnesota's Ryan Kelly, and four ahead of Green Bay's Elgton Jenkins.

Interestingly enough, the Detroit Lions, who came in at second place in last year's PFF center rankings with Frank Ragnow, slipped all the way to last place, given Ragnow's sudden retirement and the seeming lack of a Plan B at that position.

Regarding Dalman, PFF's Mason Cameron wrote: "[Dalman's] reputation as one of the best run-blocking centers in the game will be a huge asset in Johnson’s zone-heavy scheme, where the veteran has produced a career 93.8 PFF run-blocking grade."

It's hard to understate how much of an upgrade this is for the Bears, and for quarterback Caleb Williams in particular. Last year, Williams was taking snaps from Coleman Shelton, who was serviceable but nowhere near Dalman's level. In fact, Shelton has returned to the LA Rams for 2025 and these rankings list him all the way down at 19.

Given the importance of the quarterback-center relationship, Dalman could prove to be the most critical piece of Chicago's revamped offensive line. Joe Thuney is a future Hall of Famer at left guard, but he's not the one who will be helping Williams adjust protections as needed or making sure Williams gets a clean snap every time.

If Dalman lives up to the hype as a Top 5 center in 2025, Bears fans would likely be watching the most talent at that position since 6-time Pro Bowler Olin Kreutz retired, and that will be huge for Caleb Williams' development.

Drew Dalma
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Pete Martuneac
PETE MARTUNEAC

A former Marine and Purdue Boilermaker, Pete has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2022 as a senior contributor on BearsTalk. He lives with his wife, two kids and loyal dog.

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