Bears are searching for a consistent pass rush opposite of Montez Sweat

(670 The Score) As the Bears defense took on its best form late last season, the transformation became affectionately known as “The Tez Effect,” a salute to newly acquired Pro Bowl pass rusher Montez Sweat's impact on the unit.

Sweat had six sacks in nine games for Chicago after the Bears acquired him from the Commanders in late October. He led both Chicago and Washington (6.5) in sacks last season. Most importantly, Sweat proved to be a catalyst for the Bears’ entire defense.

Entering the 2024 season, the Bears boast high hopes on defense as they return nearly their entire starting core. But perhaps the most pressing question for the unit is this: Whom will the Bears rely upon to create pressure off the edge opposite of Sweat?

At the conclusion of the offseason program last week, the Bears appeared intent on using a rotation involving DeMarcus Walker, Jacob Martin and Austin Booker. The team sees strengths in all three of those pass rushers.

Walker, 29, played all 17 games in 2023 and posted 3.5 sacks. He played on 67% of the Bears’ defensive snaps. That sack production represented a step back for Walker, who had posted a career-best seven sacks in 2022 with the Titans before signing a three-year deal with the Bears.

Martin, 28, joined the Bears on a one-year deal in March. He has primarily been a reserve rusher in his career, posting 18 total sacks over six NFL seasons.

The most intriguing rusher in that mix for the Bears is the 21-year-old Booker, a fifth-round pick in the NFL Draft in April. With his team having exhausted all of its 2024 draft capital by the end of the fourth round, Bears general manager Ryan Poles was prepared to trade back into the draft only if the right player was available. That was Booker, who could’ve potentially been a first-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft but instead declared early.

“Oh, man, I’m excited about him,” Sweat said of Booker. “He’s got the whole makeup, from the frame to the pass rush ability. He’s going to be a great player.

“I’ve just got to be that big brother for him. Be there for him when he has a question, just help him along the way like the vets helped me.”

In his two years in Chicago, Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has put faith in rookies to fill key roles. While Booker is considered quite a raw prospect, he could eventually earn a starting role for the defense – if not in Week 1, then perhaps later in the season.

The Bears also remain open to the possibility of re-signing free-agent pass rusher Yannick Ngakoue, who's now healthy following a season-ending ankle fracture in December. Ngakoue had a career-low four sacks for the Bears in 2023 after never producing fewer than eight sacks in a single season.

Ngakoue, 29, could look to sign with a team in July as training camp begins. He would give the Bears a reliable veteran presence – and stability if Booker needs more time to develop.

The Bears struggled to generate pressure on the quarterback prior to Sweat’s arrival last fall, a notable weakness in their defensive identity. Since Robert Quinn’s 18.5-sack season in 2021, no Bears player has recorded more than the six sacks that Sweat produced over nine games with the team in 2023.

Sweat’s effect on the Bears has bolstered their entire defense, but they still need to find consistent production rushing off the other edge.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .