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How the Bears Get an Edge Rusher They Need If It's Not Maxx Crosby

The best idea now for the Bears might be drafting an edge rusher and it's not easy finding a system fit who produces immediately, but here's who could.
Gene Chamberlain|
Ryan Poles talks with media about Bears free agents Thursday at Halas Hall.
Ryan Poles talks with media about Bears free agents Thursday at Halas Hall. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears video

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If the Bears truly can't afford to pay for edge rusher Maxx Crosby like Adam Schefter suggests, then there's probably no sense worrying about signing any veteran edge rusher except those remaining at bargain rates in mid-July before camp starts.

Fortunately, it's regarded as a good year for defensive ends and defensive tackles in the draft. Unfortunately for them, thinking those players will immediately impact the pass rush in a big way is living in a dream world.

Last year James Pearce was the only rookie edge with more than 5 1/2 acks, at 10 1/2. At least the fact he was taken 26th overall should encourage the Bears, since they have the 25th pick. It shows you can get top players and impact if it's later in Round 1. It doesn't say they will.

The other three edge players taken in Round 1 last year had 10 1/2 sacks ...  combined.

In fact, the 16 edges taken in the first three rounds last year combined for 38 1/2 rookie sacks. So 15 of them had 28 1/2 sacks, or an average of 1.9 per man.

You can chalk that up to a bad year if you want, but even in other years it's usually not a lot different.

Rookie rusher unreliability

Of edge rushers taken two years ago, only two have averaged 6.0 sacks for two seasons—Laiatu Latu and Jared Verse. Neither has averaged 7.0 for two years. Verse has 12 sacks in two years, Latu 12 1/2, Dallas Turner 11 and Chop Robinson 10. No one else taken on the first two days has more than eight total sacks for two seasons.

Of the edges taken three years ago in what was regarded as a solid edge crop, five have averaged at least 6.0 per season with Will Anderson leading the way at 10 per year. Only three of those five got to six sacks as rookies.

In 2021 Micah Parsons came into the league and has averaged 13 sacks per season. His was an excellent class for edges. Odafe Oweh, Jaelan Phillips, Azeez Ojulari, Gregory Rousseau, Milton Williams, Jonathon Cooper and Kwity Paye all came into the league then. Oweh and Paye average 6.1 sacks, Phillips 5.6, Rousseau 6.4 and Cooper 6.3. Those aren't exactly staggering numbers beyond Parsons' 13.0.

This all suggests it's difficult to get much from any young edge rusher. They can develop, but the chance to have another big sack number from a top add-on  this year for the Bears probably vanished when they didn't try to sign one of the best players at the position in free agency--or trade for Crosby.

They most likely could get a desired amount of sacks from one of the lower-priced edges later.

The retread list currently available includes Joey Bosa, Jadeveon Clowney, Cameron

Jordan, Dante Fowler, Derek Barnett, Von Miller, A.J. Epenesa and Preston Smith. Maybe only Bosa and Clowney could expect as much as $10 million for one year, according to Pro Football Focus projections.

So what's left if they want an immediate impact player, but  don't want to sign from the retread menu?

Obviously the answer is to draft and the best way to ensure they get  someone who will have an immediate effect is to give themselves as much chance as possible. This means trading away draft picks to move up in Round 1.

They could sit there and hope they get a player they've scouted with high expectations, but to ensure this the only way is to move up because it's a long way until No. 25.

Mel Kiper has five edge players going off the board before the Bears pick No. 25 and NFL.com's Daniel Jeremiah has six coming off before then.

Fortunately for the Bears, edges come in all shapes and sizes and they're looking for players 260 and bigger in this defensive scheme—if not 270.     

If they're dead set on an edge in Round 1, the best fit for that system is Akheem Mesidor from Miami at 6-foot-3, 270 pounds. Although he lost weight for the run up to the pro day and combine, his playing weight always was around 270.

Poles calls Mesidor a 'cool player'

While talking on Todd McShay's combine podcast, Poles even brought up Mesidor, who turns 25 in April.

"But I think of a guy like Mesidor, who we interviewed yesterday, a little bit on the older end but you know you see his two years at West Virginia, a couple years at Miami and he goes and gets work with (former Dolphins edge) Jason Taylor along with Bain, and you see this really cool player," Poles told McShay. "You know, and these guys have the more refined (pass rush) plans going into the game," Poles said, adding that at that age they know what they're getting more.
If you know you have to wait on young edges to develop, why not draft one a little older."

Some, if not all of the development, has already occurred by 25.

They're probably not getting Mesidor at No. 25.

The NFL Mock Draft Data Base consensus has him going 20th to Dallas. To ensure they get this player, the Bears need to be serious about trading up a few spots in front of 20.

According to the Drafttek value chart, trading away their third-round pick at 89 overall might only land them at Dallas' pick, No. 20. They'd need to go above that and offer the third-rounder plus something else.

If they really want to ensure getting this player, they'd need to use one of those second or possibly next year's second-rounder if someone would be willing to wait for a year. Usually, this isn't the case.

All of this is under the assumption they want an edge. Poles actually said the defensive tackle supply runs out before the edge rush supply. They need a tackle because the two they brought in during free agency have proven to be bottom of the roster types.

They might even have their eye on one of the three potential first-round safeties instead, but that's awfully early to consider a defensive back when your greatest defensive flaw is an inability to stop the run or to pass rush.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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