Anybody who watched Drew Dalman with the Atlanta Falcons saw a former 4th round pick go from average starter to decent in four years with the team. Despite injuries shortening it, his 2024 season was his best. Dalman stood out as a run-blocker while holding up well enough in pass protection. It was enough to earn him a contract as the second highest-paid center in the league from the Chicago Bears. Their interest in the 26-year-old was easy to discern, having been plagued by center problems for most of the past decade.
Most are content with the belief that Dalman will be reliable if nothing special. That is what Caleb Williams needs during the most crucial stretch of his NFL career. However, Dalman was quick to insist that he’s somehow reached his ceiling as a player. He believes he is capable of getting even better. In fact, that is why he came to the Bears. He believes head coach Ben Johnson has what it takes to get the most out of his offensive linemen.
“The strengths in my game—when I watch the little bit of Detroit film that I have watched—I think they’ll be emphasized,” Dalman said. “And that’s what I want to do most, is add value to this team. If I’m doing the things that I really thrive doing, that’ll be best for the team. Then there’s more areas in my game where I can grow and do different things. That will be interesting to explore as well.”
Drew Dalman has good reasons to feel this way.
Johnson has a reputation for elevating his offensive linemen to play their best. Frank Ragnow was already a Pro Bowl center when the young coach took over the Detroit Lions offense in 2022. Even so, he went on to have probably the best stretch of his NFL career, reaching three of his four Pro Bowls while earning elite marks as a run blocker. The same can be said of Penei Sewell, who went from promising rookie to instant Pro Bowler under Johnson’s watch. Even Taylor Decker, who’d never made a Pro Bowl across the previous eight seasons, finally broke through in 2024. What Drew Dalman says is correct. Johnson can get the best out of him. Don’t be surprised if what you saw in Atlanta was merely an appetizer of what he accomplishes in Chicago.
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