Help wanted: Chicago Bears defensive line needs reinforcements

There has been a lot of talk about the Chicago Bears making improvements to their defensive line this offseason.

But just how good was that group in 2024? How did each player do s and what does their future look like with the team? Will they be around in 2025 or will they be shuffled off the roster and new faces brought in?

The defensive line, overall, struggled to get after the quarterback due to injury issues and players struggling to live up to expectations. The coaching staff didn’t get as much out of this group as they would have liked, and it showed. Now, most of these guys will be in transition. Additional help will be sought after and brought in.

For this post, we will look at the defensive ends and defensive tackles that the Chicago Bears put on the field during the 2024 season. We will see what the players did in 2024 and what their prospects are for remaining with the team in 2025. Just how good was the Chicago Bears defensive line last season?

Austin Booker

Austin Booker, a rookie defensive end, had a disappointing season. He played in all 17 games registering a sack and a half and 21 total tackles. Booker, who played in more specific situations, never quite got off the ground in 2024. The Bears should and will look for much more out of him next season especially if they don’t bring in any additional talent at the defensive end spot. Should Booker falter and not live up to expectations, he might be let go a little earlier than expected and not make it through his rookie contract.

Byron Coward

Byron Coward is a huge 300-pound defensive tackle who has been in the league for four seasons (he missed the 2021 season). In 2024, Cowart registered seven starts in 15 games, getting two and a half sacks to go along with 26 total tackles. The 29-year-old Cowart is an unrestricted free agent, and the Bears are likely going to look elsewhere for help on the defensive line. Although some might be sitting on the fence as far as what the Bears will do about him this offseason.

Gervon Dexter

Twenty-four-year-old Gervon Dexter is a massive interior lineman who remains under contract with the Bears through the 2026 season. In 2024, he played in and started in 15 games for the Bears and totaled five sacks, 51 total tackles, and two fumbles recovered. Dexter is a promising player who has a lot of upside and will return for another season with the Bears. He should be able to regain his starting spot and contribute to a defense that promises to be much better in 2024.

Jonathan Ford

338-pound Jonathan Ford is an unrestricted free agent heading into the offseason and may not be retained by the Bears when it’s all said and done. The 25-year-old played in a total of four games in 2024 and didn’t have any starts. He did manage to record nine total tackles. Will the Bears bring him back for another season in Chicago? That will depend on who they bring in to look at during the offseason. Ford has some good qualities, but the Bears might be looking at other prospects.

Daniel Hardy

Defensive end/linebacker Daniel Hardy is kind of a tweener. He only weighs 240 pounds, making him more of a linebacker-type player who can play some defensive end if needed. Hardy, who is 26 years old, has been in the league for essentially two seasons (having not played in 2023). He will be an unrestricted free agent this offseason and had just 12 tackles in all 17 games last season, but he didn’t start a game. The Bears may decide to see what they have in the veteran but it’s more likely that he will be let go and someone else will take his place in 2025.

Jacob Martin

Jacob Martin is another edge rusher-type that the Bears had on the roster in 2024 that might stick around in 2025. The 242-pound, 29-year-old played 11 games for the Bears, with no starts. He managed three sacks and 15 total tackles. The seven-year veteran is an unrestricted free agent, but the Bears might decide to keep him for another season and see what he can do. He has some promise as an edge rusher, and he showed a little bit of that this year. You might see him back in 2024.

Zaach Pickens

The interior defensive line was somewhat bolstered by second-year defensive tackle Zaach Pickens. Pickens had three starts in nine games played with a sack and nine tackles. The 24-year-old has some upside and with two years remaining in his contract, has some time to show the Bears more. Chicago will hope that he to turn into a force in the interior and provide them with some great play at the front of that defense. Hopefully he will be able to make a great contribution to the Chicago Bears defensive line.

Dominique Robinson

Dominique Robinson, a three-year veteran who is 26 years old played six games for the Bears last season. He recorded seven tackles. Robinson is going to be a free agent in 2026. In his last year with the Bears, he’s going to be playing for a contract extension. If the Bears keep him on the roster for 2025, and they likely will, he’s going to have to play well to get some reps as a starter and get his foot in the door. Don’t think the edge rusher won’t be able to see more action in 2025. He will be a factor on defense next season.

Montez Sweat

We all know what veteran defensive end Montez Sweat means to the team. He was their best pass rusher the last two seasons although he did take a step back last year. Sweat was able to play in and start in 16 games last season. The six-year vet recorded five and a half tackles, 32 tackles, and 12 quarterback hits. While he isn’t getting any younger, the 28-year-old does have something left. The Bears have him signed for another two seasons and he is the team’s highest-paid player. He must perform in 2025. Hopefully, the Bears will give him the tools, in the form of some additional help, to make him successful.

Darrell Taylor

Edge rusher Darrell Taylor is going to be an unrestricted free agent. He will likely not be back with the Bears. In 2024, Taylor played in all 16 games with no starts. He had three total sacks to go along with 32 total tackles and nine quarterback hits. While he had some flashes last season, the Bears are likely to bring in some other talent. The 27-year-old still has something left but the Bears will probably go in a different direction.

DeMarcus Walker

DeMarcus Walker, a 30-year-old eight-year veteran, played in and started in all 17 games for the Bears last season. Walker collected a total of three and a half sacks, 47 tackles and 16 quarterback hits in 2024. The Bears had him signed through the 2025 season, but they will cut him to save some cap space. While he has seen his last days in a Chicago Bears uniform, he’s bound to find work elsewhere.

Chris Williams

Interior defensive lineman Chris Williams, a three-year veteran who didn’t play in 2023, played in all 17 games for the Bears with one start. He recorded three sacks, 24 tackles, and seven quarterback hits. Williams, 26, will be a restricted free agent this offseason so the Bears will have a decision to make. He’s a big guy, coming in at 6’2” and 302 pounds and he fills the gaps nicely. He is still young enough to be a factor for a few more seasons. The Bears could go a couple of different ways with Williams but it’s likely they will bring him back on a small deal and keep him around another year or two.

Andrew Billings

Finally, Andrew Billings, a massive 6’1”, 311-pound interior defensive lineman ended up on injured reserve last season but factors into the Bears plans moving forward. Billings suffered a torn pectoral muscle in 2024 but should be fully healed by the time he gets into the 2025 season. The almost 30-year-old seven-year veteran is signed through 2025 which means he’ll be looking for another contract beyond 2025. If he plays lights out, he should earn that contract and be a Bear for a little longer.

Grade: C+

Overall, the Chicago Bears defensive line was not a terrible unit in 2024, but it still needs some work. The Bears are going to have to look for some help for this group in the draft and could use a pick or two, in the second round, to find some help. The overall grade for this group is a C+. They should, with some additional pieces, be better next year. The Bears must pay attention to this group, especially at edge rusher to get what they need out of them on defense.