Chicago Bears: 5 Reasons Khalil Mack trade will lead to NFC North title

5. He makes everyone else better on defense

The best thing about a pass rush is it’s the quickest way to plug any holes on defense. Cornerbacks don’t have to cover receivers as long and linebackers have less time to get beat by tight ends or running backs.

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No one can cover forever, so without a pass rush the offensive players will eventually find a soft spot in a zone, or get past their man coverage. Khalil Mack makes that less likely as he won’t be held off for long in his pursuit of the signal-caller.

On top of that, Mack is a three-down edge rusher. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2016, but that year wasn’t when he had his highest sack total. Mack was credited with 11 that season, what was down from his 15 the year prior.

However, he was not only getting a ton of pressure that didn’t show up in the stat sheet, he was also dominating against the run.

Mack continued that trend last season as he actually graded higher as a run defender than a pass rusher according to Pro Football Focus — subscription required.

The addition of Mack not only helps the defense by forcing the ball out of the quarterback’s hand quickly, but it also hurts the opposing running game. His play in those two areas makes everyone on this defense look better as their jobs become a bit easier.

For more grades, advanced statistics and more at Pro Football Focus, subscribe to PFF’s EDGE or ELITE subscriptions at ProFootballFocus.com.