Bears projected to field top-five LB unit this season

The Chicago Bears received a ton of tackle production from their off-ball linebackers last season. The starting pair of T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds combined to record 268 takedowns throughout 2023. Edwards ranked seventh in the league in tackles with 155. Jack Sanborn also chipped in with 65 tackles.

All three defenders remain under contract with the Bears through the 2024 campaign. That gives defensive-minded head coach Matt Eberflus a welcomed sense of continuity at the position. Noah Sewell and Micah Baskerville offer quality depth behind them. New defensive coordinator Eric Washington has plenty of depth and personnel groupings to work with.

ESPN’s Mike Clay recently released his positional rankings for all 32 teams in the league. The reasons outlined above are precisely why Clay placed the Bears fifth in his off-ball linebacker rankings. Together, they’ll offer a terrific layer of protection behind a defensive line that possesses some question marks due to the youth movement across the interior.

The entire list can be seen here:

ESPN’s ILB Rankings.

It’s hard to argue for the #Titans not being in last unfortunately. pic.twitter.com/ZEZXjVs9qA

— Jake Robertson (@GloryDaySports) June 16, 2024

Edwards was simply outstanding in Eberflus’ defense last season. The former undrafted free agent was stellar across the board, earning grades of 76.5 as a run defender, 75.4 in coverage, and 74.5 as a pass rusher from Pro Football Focus, leading to an elite overall score of 79.6. Among all linebackers that played 1,000 snaps, Edwards was PFF’s sixth-highest ranked player.

There aren’t many areas of the Bears roster that are more secure than the group of off-ball linebackers. Edmunds needs to experience a bounce-back campaign after PFF assigned him a disappointing overall grade of 56.6 last season. Reuniting a healthy Edmunds with coach Washington (who coached him in Buffalo from 2020-22) should fully unlock his potential.

ESPN agrees the sky’s the limit for the Bears’ off-ball linebackers in 2024.