The Chicago Bears have embarked on a roster rebuild with new general manager Ryan Poles and new head coach Matt Eberflus. Poles and Eberflus have to address several positions on Chicago’s roster without impactful talent, including the offensive line, defensive line, and wide receiver position. One position that needs to be addressed that hasn’t garnered much attention is the linebacker position, a position that has been vital when the Bears’ defense is successful.

#Bears linebacker @RoquanSmith1 was the biggest Pro Bowl snub. The @NFL will learn to respect the @ChicagoBears beast! @Olin_Kreutz @BradBiggs pic.twitter.com/Rkb5dE9pZV

— Emmanuel Acho (@EmmanuelAcho) December 23, 2021

Bears Have Had Historic Linebacker Combos Throughout Their Franchise History

The Bears are one of the most iconic and recognized franchises in NFL history, and the team is remembered most for their ferocious defenses and legendary linebackers. The three most memorable linebackers in Chicago’s storied history are Hall of Famers Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, and Brian Urlacher. Each defender was a cornerstone to a dominant Bears’ defense during their eras of play. Due to the Hall of Fame linebackers’ success, many Chicago fans forget that they were helped by other talented linebackers that played alongside them.

The 1985 Chicago Bears team is the most remembered championship team in Chicago sports history, more than the dynasty 1990s Chicago Bulls and the 2016 Chicago Cubs. The 85 Bears are still popular due to their historically dominant defense led by Singletary. Singletary wasn’t alone at the linebacker position as he was helped by Otis Wilson and Wilbur Marshall. Wilson was named to the Pro Bowl in 1985, while Marshall made the Pro Bowl twice and was named an All-Pro twice after the 1985 season.

The next time the Bears would make it to the Super Bowl would be in 2006, when they played the Indianapolis Colts in Super Bowl 41. Chicago’s defense was led by Urlacher, the leader of a unit that was one of the best defenses in the NFL from 2005 to 2010. Alongside the Bears’ Hall of Fame linebacker was linebacker Lance Briggs, who played his entire career with Chicago from 2003 to 2014. Briggs, during his time with Urlacher, was named an All-Pro in 2005 and was named to seven consecutive Pro Bowls.

yo @LanceBriggs was the TRUTH for the @ChicagoBears

via @nflthrowback pic.twitter.com/k0HylqH3HQ

— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) April 11, 2022

Even Chicago’s most recent playoff-caliber defense in 2018 featured multiple talented linebackers. The Bears’ 2018 defense was the best in the NFL that season as they led the league in sacks as Khalil Mack led the team with 12.5 sacks. Mack was named an All-Pro and to the Pro Bowl while finishing second in Defensive Player of The Year voting. The pass-rushing linebacker was aided by rookie Roquan Smith, who is currently the Bears’ best defensive player. Since 2018, Smith has recorded over 100 tackles or more in each of his four seasons in the league.

#Bears

CHI defense = 7 sacks vs. HOU

Get to a 4-Man rush here (Roquan Smith off the edge) — with Khalil Mack slanting inside.

Schemed pressure to create the 1-on-1 for Mack vs. the guard. @NFLMatchup pic.twitter.com/d43ELTUJ4y

— Matt Bowen (@MattBowen41) December 14, 2020

Poles And Eberflus Now Need To Find A Young Linebacker To Pair With Smith

Smith is currently the leader of the Bears’ defense heading into 2022 as Poles has traded or released several veteran defensive stars. Mack was traded to the Los Angeles Chargers for a second-round selection in the 2022 NFL Draft, while linebacker Danny Trevathan and defensive nose tackle Eddie Goldman were released. Smith’s responsibilities on defense will change now that the Bears will be implementing a new defensive scheme in 2022.

Eberflus’ new Cover-2 defensive scheme needs a linebacker to pair with Smith as the former 2018 first-round selection, as the team does not know what position the fifth-year veteran will play. With the Cover-2 defense, both the middle and weak-side linebackers have a significant role in pass coverage. The middle linebacker is responsible for covering the middle of the field, especially the tight end. The weak-side linebacker is responsible for defending against passing targets coming out of the backfield into the flat.

#Bears HC Matt Eberflus says they haven’t yet decided which LB spot Roquan Smith will play.

— Mark Grote (@markgrotesports) March 1, 2022

During Lovie Smith’s tenure as Bears’ head coach, Urlacher and Briggs demonstrated perfectly what the roles of both the middle and weakside linebackers were in the Cover-2 defense. Chicago’s two linebackers were vital to the success of Smith’s defense, as turnovers were consistently being generated. Urlacher recorded several interceptions while patrolling the middle of the field, while Briggs was instrumental in constantly tackling running backs catching short-yardage passes.

Depending on where Eberflus decides to play Smith, Poles must find a linebacker prospect in this year’s draft to pair with the Bears’ top linebacker. Chicago’s Cover-2 defense will not work if there isn’t a linebacker to fill both positions. Smith has already proven capable of being a tackling machine and may be best suited for the weak-side linebacker position, leaving Poles to find a talented prospect that can make an impact at the middle linebacker position.

The Chicago Bears have talked to NFL draft prospect Christian Albright, per sources.

Albright is a linebacker and played college football at Ball State University.

— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) March 29, 2022

History shows that the Bears’ defense is at its best when the team has multiple top-level linebackers working together. Smith is a terrific player and has the potential to be as great as Urlacher, Singletary, and Butkus, but he can’t make Chicago’s defense successful by himself alone in 2022. Heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, Poles and Eberflus must identify a linebacker prospect they believe can be paired with Smith and make a difference.