Windy City Gridiron
WCG’s lead draft analyst shares the top offensive line targets the Bears could pursue in free agency.
It’s hardly a bold take to say the offensive line is the Bears’ biggest need heading into the 2025 offseason.
Caleb Williams was sacked 68 times in 2024, making him the third-most sacked quarterback in a single season in NFL history. With three starting offensive line positions likely up for grabs in 2025, the Bears have the perfect combination of openings in the starting lineup and general needs up front.
Darnell Wright figures to be locked in as Chicago’s starting right tackle, and Braxton Jones, as much as opinions about him in the fanbase may vary, realistically figures to start at left tackle again in 2025. Both primary starting guards from last season — Teven Jenkins and Matt Pryor — are slated to hit free agency, though, as is center Coleman Shelton.
The Bears have the fifth-most cap space in the league heading into the offseason, and they have four picks in the top 75 selections in the 2025 NFL Draft. They seem likely to use some of the money along their offensive line, and should they choose to do so, these free agents could be targets.
A Pro Bowl guard at 25 years old, Smith is the crown jewel of offensive linemen in free agency if the Chiefs don’t extend him. He graded above 72.0 in PFF grades each of his four seasons in the NFL thus far, and he didn’t allow a single sack in 2024. Ryan Poles was in Kansas City’s front office when they drafted Smith, so the ties are there. With the Chiefs spending a significant amount of money on their interior offensive line already, there’s a chance he hits the open market.
Dalman has been a reliable starter for the Falcons each of the last three seasons, grading as a top-five center by PFF each of the last two seasons. He missed significant time in the middle of the 2024 season due to an ankle injury, but he’s a high-level starter at 26 years old who figures to make a significant amount of money this free agency.
If the Bears want a short-term answer at guard, Zeitler is a perfect fit. He worked with Ben Johnson in Detroit, he played at an extremely high level in 2024, and he’s been a reliable starter since coming into the league back in 2012. There’s always risk signing older players to more expensive deals, so Zeitler, who turns 35 in March, feels like a player a team signs on a one-year deal instead of a long-term contract. That said, he’s aged like fine wine and remains one of the top guards in the NFL.
A season-ending leg injury cut Fries’ 2024 season short, providing some murkiness in regards to his contract status in upcoming free agency. He’ll be in the...
