NEWSLETTER
The Bears not having any sixth-round picks gave me a chance to re-charge for the grand finale.
It also allowed me to check in on the Cubs game — which I now regret after seeing prospect pitcher Caleb Kilian give up five runs in the first.
With that being said, how about these Tyrique Stevenson highlights as a palate cleanser:
Ahh, yes. Cornerback highlights featuring a new member of the Chicago Bears defense makes for a wonderful palate cleanser. Plus, it fills me with good vibes as I start thinking more about the Bears’ secondary. And the defense as a whole. Sure, the defensive line could still use some work. But that defensive backfield looks like a fun mix of fierce defenders and ballhawks.
It wasn’t all that long ago when Chicago’s defensive backfield had the look of a barren wasteland. Think about where we were at this time last year. Safety Eddie Jackson was been looking like a shell of his former self coming into the 2022 season. And with a new general manager, head coach, defensive staff, and scheme coming in, it was fair to wonder what his future would hold. Despite two years as a starter under his belt, Jaylon Johnson was still seen as a cornerback on the rise. The rest of the secondary was looking problematic. But where we saw problems, the Bears saw an opportunity. And the result is two drafts that have resulted in five new defensive backs. I doubt that is a coincidence.
We gushed over Jaquan Brisker throughout his rookie season in 2022. After a slow start, Kyler Gordon finished his first year as a pro with a flourish. As for Jackson, he came back with a solid season of his own. Sure, it was an injury-shortened campaign thanks in part to a crummy MetLife Stadium turf. But the guy was the NFC’s leading vote-getter among free safeties at the time of his injury for crying out loud. That arrow was pointing up. And on Friday, the Bears brought Stevenson into the mix.
Stevenson will have a quality mix of experienced veterans (Jackson is the longest-tenured member of Chicago’s defense), young veterans (Jaylon turned 24 only 10 days ago), and rising second-year defenders who were just in his shoes a year ago. In other words, Chicago is a sneaky good spot for a rookie CB to land. I’m looking forward to seeing his development.
