Dayo Odeyingbo signed a three-year, $48 million deal with the Chicago Bears in free agency, with the Bears aiming to pair him with fellow pass rusher Montez Sweat on the defensive line.
According to a recent report, Odeyingbo had other suitors — specifically, Chicago’s biggest rival in the NFC North.
A to Z Sports’ Wendell Ferreira and Destin Adams reported that Odeyingbo was “expected to be one of the Packers‘ top targets in free agency.”
That’s not a surprise. With 2023 first-round pick Lukas Van Ness still developing, Rashan Gary could use some help. Neither Brenton Cox nor Kingsley Enagbare is going to put much fear into opposing offenses, either, and the Packers have yet to add a difference-maker on the D-line in free agency.
That will likely change, particularly with the NFL draft approaching soon. Still, it has to sting a tad if there’s any truth to Ferreira and Adams’ report.
Did Packers Miss Out on New Bears DE Dayo Odeyingbo?
That remains to be seen, but at 6-foot-6 and 276 pounds with an 86-inch wingspan, Odeyingbo undoubtedly possesses elite physical traits. He also has a relentless motor.
His pressure rate of 12.6% last season ranked among the top edge defenders with similar snap counts, per PFF. In Chicago’s aggressive 4-3 scheme under new Bears DC Dennis Allen, he’ll have the opportunity to show what he can do in an expanded role.
It’s fair to suggest Odeyingbo’s trajectory points upward. Coming out of Vanderbilt in 2021, he was a highly regarded prospect but slid to the second round due to a torn Achilles suffered in pre-draft training. After recovering and gradually ramping up over his first two seasons, he began to flash consistently in 2023.
According to Next Gen Stats, he had a pass-rush win rate of 16.8% on third downs, a situation the Bears desperately need help in after ranking near the bottom of the league in sacks the last two seasons.
Colts GM Chris Ballard had great things to say about him, too.
“He’s developed really well,” Ballard said, via Colts.com. “I know statistically it might not look like that, but I know the rest of the league notices it. He’s becoming exactly what we thought he would become. He’s still young, he’s still – I think it’s still in front of Dayo, and I like where he’s headed. We’ll see how free agency works out, but yeah it does. Happy for him, because I think he’s going to garner some attention.”
With Sweat commanding attention on the opposite edge, Odeyingbo will likely see more one-on-one matchups, which bodes well for his production. If he continues his upward trajectory, he has double-digit sack potential.
1 Analyst Had Interesting Take on the Situation
Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report listed several free agents who “signed with the wrong team,” and he believes Odeyingbo going to Chicago was a bad move. Instead, Sobleski thinks Green Bay would have been a better landing spot.
“Unlike Ben Johnson, Matt LaFleur is proven coach, with five playoff appearances in his six seasons at the helm,” he wrote, adding: “If Green Bay really did prioritize Odeyingbo at the start of free agency, the decision should have been more difficult than the free agent made it out to be.”
We may never know how badly the Packers wanted Odeyingbo — if they wanted him at all. But if he turns into a beast for the Bears, few Cheeseheads will be cheering.
