Heisman contender lands in Chicago! Bears snag elite defensive talent to bolster their overhauled unit. Is this the key to future success?
Everyone seems to be wondering who the Chicago Bears are going to take with the 25th overall pick.
If you've been following the moves the Bears have made in free agency, the franchise could be signaling that it's taking either an edge rusher or a defensive tackle. Even though there were options like Maxx Crosby or Trey Hendrickson, the Bears stayed put and didn't pursue either.
General Manager Ryan Poles believes the edge-rusher class is very deep, meaning that an interior defensive lineman could be more likely at No. 25.
Regardless of what happens, this draft is no doubt going to be one of the most important in the Poles era at GM.
The Bears lost safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker to free agency. Tremaine Edmunds and D.J. Moore were cap casualties.
To sustain this team's success, the defensive side of the ball must be a priority in the draft.
In the latest mock draft from ESPN's Field Yates, he had the Bears taking defensive players in the first two rounds. One of them was up for the Heisman last season.
In the second round, the Bears picked former Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez. Rodriguez had a monster of a final year with Texas Tech, recording 128 total tackles, 11 TFLs, one sack and four interceptions.
Rodriguez finished fifth in Heisman voting. Former Notre Dame star Manti Te'o holds the achievement for closest a linebacker has come to winning the Heisman in 2012, finishing second.
"Chicago's defensive overhaul this offseason included the release of Tremaine Edmunds and an overall focus on getting faster," Yates said. "Rodriguez would help with the latter in Edmunds' place. Making him an even better fit is that he's the best ball disruptor in the class; he forced an astonishing seven fumbles and had four interceptions in 2025. The Bears led the NFL in takeaways last season (33)."
This move makes sense for a number of reasons.
While the Bears went out and signed free-agent linebacker Devin Bush, the rest of the position is in a tough spot. Bush should fill the role that Edmunds had on defense quite nicely as that coverage linebacker.
However, T.J. Edwards and Noah Sewell suffered season-ending injuries late in the year, and there's no telling when they'll be back in action. Sewell is still on a rookie contract, but Edwards will be turning 30 later this year. It'll be good to have Rodriguez around, given the ageing corps of linebackers on the roster.
Sewell and Edwards' contracts run out soon, so even if Rodriguez can't start right away, the Bears could bring him along until he is ready to see significant starting minutes in the NFL.
While everyone is concerned with the Bears' first-round pick, the second-round pick could be an important one as well.