There’s no denying that QB Caleb Williams’ Chicago Bears are crying for help on the defensive front. While DE Grady Jarrett, with 11 years of experience, glued the D-line together, his injury exposed cracks that eventually derailed their NFC Championship dreams. It’s high time the Bears sort it out, with analysts believing the solution lies in Georgia’s deep trenches.

Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald believe that Georgia DL Christen Miller can become an immediate impact player on the defense.

“The Bears’ defense has been effective, but inconsistent,” they write. “Miller had an up-and-down season for Georgia, but closed out strong and looks like a viable starter as an interior defender in the NFL.”

Hailed as one of the best defensive linemen in college football, Christen Miller can be the plug-and-play athlete the Bears need to elevate their rush defense. This past season, he started all 14 games, recording 23 tackles and 1.5 sacks. Not just that, his PFF grade (88.3) speaks enough of his run-stifling ability in the trenches.

So far, he has recorded 16 total pressures and 14 QB hurries, consistently collapsing the pocket from the inside, even when he didn’t finish a sack. He brings the very thing the Bears desperately need on their D-line, stifling the run game. Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams said plenty about it.

The Bears contained the Rams’ No. 1 offense, holding them to zero passing touchdowns. However, the rush-defense buckled, allowing two touchdowns on the run. Ultimately, the Rams won 20-17 in overtime, advancing to the NFC Championship game.

For the Bears, words fail to describe the heart loss. But that defensive issue was not a one-time thing. This recurrent concern has plagued them all season long. They rank among the best units in forcing turnovers (33), yet the D-line fails to absorb the impact, breaking under pressure. Although LB Tremaine Edmunds had been successful in (112 tackles), stopping the run, he had to sprint further downfield because the interior defensive line was being washed out under pressure. Grady Jarrett struggled to keep the defensive line up and running after recovering from a knee injury, but it did little to soothe the concerns.

“The Bears’ inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a glaring weakness all season,” ESPN wrote. “Despite spending big last free agency on defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (one sack in eight games before a season-ending injury) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (two sacks), the Bears got very little return on investment. The No. 1 focus must be a big swing on an edge rusher in free agency or the draft.”

Improving the rush defense will be their priority this offseason, and Christen Miller can help plug that issue.

Christen Miller is projected to be a first-round pick

Christen Miller is foregoing his senior year of eligibility and moving to the pros. With that, he has already been projected to be a first-round pick. Besides Nate Tice and Charles McDonald, PFF’s Gordon McGuinness also believes that Miller is their go-to player. He projects him to be the No. 25th pick by the Chicago Bears.

Along with his ability to man the defensive wall, he brings versatility. He has experience playing 0-technique nose tackle as a DL to a 4i-technique defensive end. However, he needs to work on his timing as well. He often gets baited by running backs, leaving his assignment early in an attempt to make a play.

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