The Chicago Bears are entering the 2024 NFL Draft with a glaring gap in their roster: they need a pass rusher. Despite the successful Montez Sweat trade last year, which yielded immediate results, the team still lacks depth in that position. To address this, in the 2024 SB Nation Mock Draft, I opted to focus on acquiring a pass rusher with Chicago’s second first-round pick.
Before making this decision, I executed a trade with the Las Vegas Raiders, swapping the ninth overall pick for their first-rounder (13th overall) and third-rounder in the 2024 draft (77th overall). This move not only gained value according to both the classic Jimmy Johnson trade chart (+5) and the Rich Hill draft trade chart (+9), but it also positioned me to select Alabama’s Dallas Turner at 13. Turner was a player I had my eye on and likely would have chosen at ninth overall if I hadn’t found a trade-back partner.
In the previous year, Turner demonstrated his prowess by being named a First-Team Associated Press All-American and the SEC Defensive Player of the Year, boasting impressive statistics with 10 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss. Moreover, he embodies the high-character qualities the Bears value, having served as a team captain and being a finalist for the Lott IMPACT Trophy, which recognizes excellence in character and performance in college football.
Turner is anticipated to be one of the top defensive prospects in the draft, with DraftKings Sportsbook favoring him as the eighth prospect to be drafted, and he’s currently slated as the favorite to go to the Atlanta Falcons at that spot. However, with odds of +400 to be chosen at ninth overall, where the Bears were initially positioned, acquiring him at 13 is considered a steal.
While some scouts believe Turner’s optimal position is as a 3-4 outside linebacker, his exceptional pass-rushing skills are adaptable to any defensive scheme. Standing at 6’3 and 247 pounds, with impressive athletic measurements including a 4.46-second 40-yard dash, a 1.54-second 10-yard split, a 40.5-inch vertical jump, and a 10’ 7’’ broad jump, he possesses the physical attributes that would excite head coach Matt Eberflus. His addition will immediately bolster a team that ranked 31st in the league with only 30 sacks in the previous season.
