New-Look Chicago Bears Secondary Gets No Love In Latest Rankings
GM Ryan Poles knew there was no way he’d be able to fix the Chicago Bears roster in one off-season. It wasn’t possible with the limited resources available. So he was forced to prioritize. He would try to fix one or two key areas of the depth chart and hope coaching could mask the rest. When the dust settled in May, it had become clear where his priorities lay. He and head coach Matt Eberflus wanted to retool the secondary.
It wasn’t a huge surprise. The back end of the Bears defense was a mess in 2021. Their only reliable player was Jaylon Johnson, and even he struggled at times. The group desperately needed an infusion of talent. They got it when Poles added veteran nickel corner Tavon Young in free agency, followed by 2nd round picks Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. From a talent perspective, this group is so much better than last year. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough to impress Pro Football Focus. Their ranking of every secondary in the NFL left the Bears second-to-last.
“31. CHICAGO BEARS
CB: Jaylon Johnson
CB: Kyler Gordon
NCB: Thomas Graham Jr.
S: Eddie Jackson
S: Jaquan BriskerIt’s worrisome that this Bears secondary lacks a single player who they can point to and say for certain he’ll be reliable. Eddie Jackson is supposed to be that guy — and is being paid as such — but even he has earned coverage grades of 56.9 and 55.8 the past two seasons.”
Chicago Bears are leaning on projection at the moment.
The lack of proven experience is likely what drove them so far down the list. There is a strong likelihood the team will end up starting two rookies on opening day against San Francisco. That always makes people nervous. Rookies are unreliable and make mistakes. Nobody is questioning Gordon and Brisker’s potential, but they need to learn that the NFL speed is vastly different from what they’re used to.
That said, the two have already shown flashes of their skills in minicamps. If they progress quickly throughout this season, the Chicago Bears secondary could become formidable. This doesn’t account for the possible improvement Johnson can make and maybe Eddie Jackson will return to his old form. There is plenty of room for this group to become good in a hurry. It comes down to how well Eberflus and his staff coach them.