Most important Chicago Bears in 2025: No. 9 Drew Dalman

The wait is almost over. The Bears will return to the practice field July 23 when they hold their first training camp practice under new head coach Ben Johnson.

Over two weeks, Shaw Local is counting down the 10 most important Bears heading into the 2025 season. Importance is obviously subjective. But for our purposes, it comes down to these questions: Are the Bears worse off without the player? Does the player have untapped potential or past greatness to live up to? Is his story going to be one fans follow closely this season?

The best player on the team isn’t always the most important, but he certainly can be.

Here’s a look at No. 9 on the list. Check back the next two weeks to see the top 10 most important Bears.

No. 9 Drew Dalman

Position: Center

Experience: Fifth season

Looking back: The Bears have struggled to find a consistent starter at center since Bears general manager Ryan Poles took over in 2022. Although Coleman Shelton won the center starting job last season and played it well at times, inconsistency led to some troubles for then-rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

Poles responded to those struggles by signing the top center available in free agency this offseason, Drew Dalman. Poles brought in Dalman on a three-year contract for $42 million. He also traded for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson to replace three starters from last year’s offensive line.

Dalman brings valuable experience after playing in 57 games over four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Pro Football Focus rated Dalman as the fourth-best center in the league last year with a 78.8 total score. He was ranked the fifth-best run-blocking center last season with a 79.8 and the 21st pass-blocking center with a score of 66.6.

Dalman also was disciplined in his play. He was called for three penalties in nine games last season and allowed two sacks. Shelton committed four penalties and allowed three sacks last year for the Bears in 17 games.

Looking ahead: There will be a lot of storylines to watch this season. None will be bigger than how Williams looks under Johnson in his second season in the NFL.

Dalman will play a major role in Williams’ development and success as his center. Not only has Dalman proved his ability to protect and be disciplined, but he’s also shown his intelligence at the line of scrimmage and helped quarterbacks see things they might miss.

Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett had a firsthand view of Dalman’s skill and growth during his time with the Falcons. He voiced how important Dalman will be to the Bears’ success when he met with reporters during the spring.

“Working against him in Atlanta, he was so smart, he had some great guys working with him, as well,” Jarrett said. “But to see his growth as a rookie to where he is now, I mean, dude’s a beast, man. I’m happy that he’s going to be here, and I think he’s going to bring a lot to this team.”

Williams could take a major step with solid production from the interior of his offensive line. Dalman will play a major and important role in making sure Williams takes that step.