Potential Danger for Interior Bears Defense

Bears coach Matt Eberflus announced some of his pass rush plans during off-season practices.

It included moving defensive ends Rasheem Green and/or DeMarcus Walker to the interior of the line in pass rush situations.

"We've had a couple big ends before in the past that are really good run setters," Eberflus said, referring to his time as defensive coordinator with the Colts. "They do a good job with that. You can decide to put them to the tight end, away from the tight end, you put them to the right side or the left side based on the team where they like to run the football. So we’ve done various things with that. And with those guys that are bigger ends, you kick them inside on the third down package, which we've done that with some guys and had some success there, too. But we're just feeling him out right now."

It's one idea and maybe a good one. The lack of dominant edge rushers have Eberflus thinking they can build the pass rush from inside out by putting lighter players on the inside in passing situations.

There's another reason it's a good idea.

They're not likely to get much help in the pass rush from their two rookie defensive tackles, Gervon Dexter Jr. and Zacch Pickens.

Nothing against Dexter and Pickens, but the trends over the last three years suggest the days of defensive tackles who get to the passer as rookies are over. It's a position requiring plenty of training and experience before players start to get to the quarterback.

They're really going to be putting pressure on defensive tackle Justin Jones as they try to bring along the two young defensive tackles.

It might even take more than a year.

One example is Javon Hargrave, the defensive tackle who went to the 49ers from the Eagles in free agency. Hargrave built a reputation as a pass rushing tackle but had only two sacks in each of his first two years.

Giants defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence had Bears offensive linemen talking to themselves, he dominated them so much when they played last year. Lawrence had 2 1/2 sacks his rookie year, though.

No defensive tackle chosen in the last three drafts before 2023 had more than 2 1/2 sacks as a rookie. Rookie Michael Clemons last season didn't start but was a defensive tackle in the Jets pass rush rotation and had 2 1/2 sacks. That's it. None of the other interior defensive linemen drafted had as many sacks as Clemons as rookies.

There were 72 total interior defensive linemen selected in the past three drafts. That's defensive tackles, nose tackles and 3-4 ends. And not a single one made more than Clemons' 2 1/2 sacks.

These numbers are via Pro Football Reference and Sportradar.

Some are developing after their first year, however. The Bears can't be counting on two rookies to be key contributors as pass rushers. It's too rare when it happens.

The 2019 draft was the last time a defensive tackle had more sacks than Clemons did as a rookie. That draft was really the year for interior defensive line defenders, as Ed Oliver had five sacks as a rookie for Buffalo. Dre'Mont Jones had 3 1/2 as a rookie for Denver.

Even then, Quinnen Williams and Lawrence both were chosen that year and neither went over 2 1/2 sacks as rookies before developing during subsequent years into the forces they now are.

The Bears can hope their two interior defenders play well against the run as rookies. Then again, no one they had played well against the run last year, rookie or not, defensive tackle or any other position.

In the meantime, they might want to keep a close eye on Justin Jones' progress and possibly even think about extending his contract.

Jones did not perform last year like an All-Pro by any stretch of the imagination, but he did have 12 tackles for loss and seemed to be catching on to playing three technique by season's end.

"I thought he got better," Eberflus said when asked about Jones at season's end. "I thought he improved every single week, and I thought at the end of the year he was playing better in terms of his gap control, in terms of his penetration, playing the blocks in the run game, and then the pass rush.

"He's still learning his fastball and he's doing a good job of that. Again, I thought he had a really good year and I thought he started to really improve at the end."

Pro Football Focus didn't agree with this assessment as they graded Jones 111th out of 127 interior defensive line defenders last year.

The Bears signed nose tackle Andrew Billings to team with Jones this year, and he was 16th among interior defenders last year according to PFF. If Billings can keep the double teams off of Jones, as they would hope in this scheme, then improvement with interior play could go according to plan.

If the veterans can't get the job done better than last year's interior duo of Jones and Armon Watts, then it could be up to those two rookies to try and buck the obvious trend against rookie defensive tackle success.

Rookie Defensive Tackle Sacks

2022

Michael Clemons 2.5 sacks

DeVonte Wyatt 1.5

Travis Jones 1.0

Perrion Winfrey 0.5

Matthew Butler 0.5

2021

Osa Odighizuwa 2.0

Alim McNeill 2.0

Milton Williams 2.0

Christian Barmore 1.5

Phil Hoskins 1.0

Ray Lopez 1.0

Levi Onwuzurike 1.0

Tedarrell Slaton 1.0

Tommy Togiai 0.5

Daviyon Nixon 0.5

2020

Derrick Brown 2.0

Ross Blacklock 2.0

Javon Kinlaw 1.5

Justin Madubuike 1.0

Davon Hamilton 1.0

James Lynch 1.0

Leki Fotu 1.0

Bravvion Roy 1.0

John Penisini 1.0

Neville Gallimore 0.5

2019

Ed Oliver 5.0

Dre'Mont Jones 3.5

Quinnen Williams 2.5

Dexter Lawrence 2.5

Jaylon Ferguson 2.5

Christian Wilkins 2.0

Jeffery Simmons 2.0

Jerry Tilery 2.0

Armon Watts 1.5

Khalen Saunders 1.0

Greg Gaines 0.5

2018

B.J. Hll 5.5

Daron Payne 5.0

Maurice Hurst Jr. 4.0

Vita Vea 3.0

Bilal Nichols 3.0

Da'Shawn Hand 3.0

John Franklin-Myers 2.0

Sebastian Joseph-Day 2.0

Breeland Speaks 1.5

Taven Bryan 1.0

Justin Jones 0.5

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