Who is Darrell Taylor? Meet the Bears’ newest acquisition to their defensive line

Who is Darrell Taylor? Meet the Bears’ newest acquisition to their defensive line originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bears traded a 2025 sixth-round pick to the Seahawks Friday morning for linebacker Darrell Taylor, the team announced later in the day.

Who is Darrell Taylor? Here’s everything to know about the Bears‘ newest acquisition.

MORE: Unlike Matthew Judon, Darrell Taylor trade is right kind of risk for 2024 Bears

Taylor, 27, played four years at Tennessee for the Vols. Over his career, he racked up 19.5 sacks, 26 tackles for loss, 118 total tackles, seven defended passes, four fumble recoveries and six forced fumbles.

His last two seasons were inarguably his best. During his junior season, Taylor recorded 8.0 sacks and 11 tackles for loss. He also added 36 tackles and three forced fumbles. From his senior season, Taylor notched 8.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 46 tackles and four defended passes.

The Seahawks selected him in the second round (No. 48 overall pick) of the 2020 NFL Draft.

He made a reasonable impression during his rookie season, playing 16 games and starting in five. Taylor finished with 6.5 sacks, 37 tackles and 13 quarterback hits. His second season in the NFL has been his best so far; he finished with 9.5 sacks, 26 tackles, four forced fumbles and another 13 quarterback hits.

His 2023 season wasn’t spectacular. He played in every game (started five) but finished with 5.5 sacks, 28 tackles and eight quarterback hits. That’s when the Seahawks decided to take a late-round draft pick for him from the Bears.

Taylor signed a one-year deal worth $3.1 million with the Seahawks (according to Spotrac), which will transfer to the Bears. Should the Bears hope to keep him on the roster past this season, they’ll have to ponder an extension before he reaches free agency next summer.

But the Bears are likely happy finding someone to pair consistently opposite of Montez Sweat for this season. Sweat led the team in sacks last season, recording 6.0 in just nine games. To maximize his potential on the defensive line, the Bears have been attempting to fill the gap opposite him on the line.

They drafted rookie Austin Booker out of Kansas by trading back into the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft. Booker has shined this preseason, certain to earn himself a role on the defensive line’s rotation early in the season.

Ryan Poles and the front office also attempted to trade for Patriots edge rusher Matthew Judon. They offered the Patriots a third-round pick for his services, but with the contingency he signed an extension, as seen on the latest episode of “Hard Knocks.” In the end, the Patriots elected to take the Falcons’ third-round pick for Judon.

However, the Bears now have a viable solution across Sweat in Taylor. Over the past two seasons, the Bears have ranked last and second-to-last in team sacks — evidence of their need to bolster the pass-rushing unit.

In Taylor, the Bears have given themselves, at minimum, a viable one-year option for a low cost. Should he improve from last season and sign a contract with the Bears past 2024, it’ll go down as a win for the front office.

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