The Chicago Bears waited until their third pick of the 2025 NFL Draft to address their defense, but they attacked an underlying need when they did. Former Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner was the pick, and the Bears upgraded their group with him.
Turner recorded 2.0 sacks in 2024 but had a 6.0 sack season in 2023.
One key difference was that Turner moved from defensive end to tackle. In addition to eating a lot of Chipotle, Turner also studied others who made similar transitions.
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“Really, it was, shoot, a lot of guys they had on the team before me,” Turner told Clocker Sports on April 26. “DeMarvin Leal; I don’t know if y’all know him. And, shoot Micheal Clemons, shoot even Nic Scourton. Bouncing around and stuff like that, I just steal little stuff from they game and like kind of make it my own in a sense. And, shoot, really jell my own little 3-tech, if that makes sense.”
Leal and Clemons wrapped their Aggie days in 2021. Leal was a third-round pick by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. Clemons went to the New York Jets in the fourth round in that same draft class.
Scourton was a second-rounder by the Carolina Panthers this year.
Turner is joining a defensive line group that includes Andrew Billings and Grady Jarrett at the top of the depth chart, with Gervon Dexter Sr. as the top option off the bench. Those are the only true roadblocks to Turner seeing the field plenty as a rookie.
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“The defense had taken a backseat until this point, but Chicago addressed it with a good selection here,” NFL.com’s Eric Edholm wrote after the pick. “Turner needs to play with more control and discipline, but he’s an upgrade to the Bears’ interior.”
The Bears still have 2022 third-round pick Zacch Pickens, but he has yet to develop as hoped and dealt with injuries last season.
Turner could prove to be the steal his draft projection suggests.
“General manager Ryan Poles finally takes a defensive player and fills a need with the 43rd-ranked player on my board at pick No. 62,” ESPN’s Steve Muench wrote April 25. “The additions of Turner and free agent signees Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo should improve a defensive line that ranked 29th in run stop win rate and 24th in pass rush win rate.”