Five defensive linemen for Bears to watch after combine

The Bears know they must bolster the trenches on both sides of the ball. They weren’t physical enough on offense or defense to match up in the rugged NFC North division in 2024.

The offensive line started slow and never developed a consistent groove, while the defensive line began the season hot before tapering off over the second half of the year.

Now, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson must find ways to improve both groups.

“We want a physical group,” Johnson said at the NFL combine last week. “And that’s not just the offensive line. That’s the entire team.”

The Bears have $79 million in salary cap space to spend, along with four selections in the top 72 picks in April’s draft. There will be ample opportunity to address the trenches.

The Bears could project at least one of those top four picks — maybe even the No. 10 overall selection — for a defensive lineman.

Here are five defensive linemen who could be in play for the Bears in the first or second round of the draft.

Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan

When Bears defensive tackle Andrew Billings suffered a season-ending pectoral injury midway through 2024, it became painfully obvious the Bears didn’t have a solid replacement for him.

Grant (6-foot-4, 331 pounds) is a dominant run stopper who grew up in Gary, Ind.

“We always pride ourselves, D-linemen, stop the run first,” Grant said last week at the combine. “That gives you the ability to go rush the passer.”

Players of his size are incredibly hard to find. Grant ranked third on The Athletic’s annual college football “Freaks List.” He’s likely a first-round selection.

Shemar Stewart, Edge, Texas A&M

Stewart (6-5, 267) did not have the type of statistics that jump off the page. He’s an edge rusher who never totaled more than 1.5 sacks in any of his three seasons at Texas A&M.

“Sometimes the stats don’t tell the whole story and when you look at the film, you can really see what was going on,” Stewart said. “I would say production is a little bit overrated.”

What he is, though, is another freak athlete. He ran a 4.59 in the 40-yard dash (at 267 pounds) and showed off a 40-inch vertical jump. His athletic abilities are off the charts and that has him looking like a first-round pick. The question is if the lack of on-field production was an anomaly.

J.T. Tuimoloau, Edge, Ohio State

If Stewart is a classic example of athletic potential outshining past production, Tuimoloau (6-4, 265) might be the opposite. Tuimoloau had 6.5 sacks in the College Football Playoff alone to help the Buckeyes win a national championship. He played his best games on the biggest stage.

“Coach (Larry) Johnson kept talking about whatever goal we had in mind, it had to run through the D-line,” Tuimoloau said of his D-line coach at Ohio State. “We feel like the game is won in the trenches and whoever was the better trench team, in my eyes, that’s who’s going to win.”

Tuimoloau could be a second-round target for the Bears, who hold the 39th and 41st overall selections.

Mykel Williams, Edge, Georgia

Williams (6-5, 260) is another edge rusher with elite traits, but maybe not eye-popping production. He totaled only five sacks last season, but also played through an ankle injury much of the year.

He possesses the elite length Poles covets in his edge rushers. At more than 34 inches long, his arms were among the longest from edge rushers measured at the combine.

Williams is widely considered to be a first-round pick in the draft, potentially a top-10 pick. Like Stewart above, it’s more based on his athleticism and potential than production.

Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State

Williams (6-3, 334) is another massive run stopper who could fit the mold of what the Bears might be looking for at the position. He’s considered a late first-round or early second-round selection in the draft.

Williams totaled 28 tackles for loss and 11.5 sacks over four seasons at Ohio State. He’s incredibly athletic for his size and was one of the largest defensive players measured at the combine. He eats up space, but he can move too.