The 2022 season had plenty more lows than highs for the Chicago Bears, who ended the season 3-14, losing their last 10 games in a row after starting 3-4. That performance landed them the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, which will almost certainly be used on a defensive player if they don’t trade the pick away.
Chicago’s defense struggled mightily to get into the opponent’s backfield to make plays. They ranked last in the NFL with only 20 sacks on the season, which isn’t surprising as they traded away Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn and Roquan Smith. While the secondary did its part at times, it didn’t matter as Chicago had no answers against the run.
The Bears finished 31st in the league in rushing yards allowed and 32nd in rushing touchdowns. That is something that needs to be addressed this offseason as general manager Ryan Poles looks to start rebuilding the roster in Year 2 on the job.
With cap space to spend, the Bears should be buyers in free agency to fill some of the gaps on the roster before the draft. One player that would be a perfect target for them is Daron Payne of the Washington Commanders.
Payne would be a huge upgrade for the interior of the Bears’ defensive line. He has been a stout run-stopper throughout his career but has turned a corner as a pass rusher as well. This past season, he registered a career-high 11.5 sacks.
2022 was by far the best season of Payne’s career as he added 18 tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits as well. All were career-highs along with the 64 total tackles that he had.
The Alabama product is a true game wrecker from the defensive tackle position and would give Chicago a building block as he is still only 25 years old. While he wouldn’t solve all of their pass-rushing woes, Payne would be a good first step in the right direction. Pairing him with a top draft pick, given the lack of free agent pass-rushing options, and the Bears would be well on their way to repairing their defense.