The Chicago Bears have undergone plenty of change this offseason, including learning a new defense under head coach Matt Eberflus. But there are some young, talented players on the roster that will factor into the success of this team moving forward.
Pro Football Focus ranked every NFL team’s secondary, and the Bears wasn’t the worst — but it was close to it. They ranked 31st, which had more to do with the youth and uncertainty of the group heading into 2022.
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.
While PFF pointed to youth and inexperience as a determining factor in their “too much uncertainty” ranking, Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson have a combined seven years experience starting in the NFL. The Bears are expecting big things from rookies Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker, but they are rookies and have something to prove.
The one position that’s not certain right now is slot cornerback, where PFF currently projects Thomas Graham Jr. to start. Graham will battle experienced veteran Tavon Young for the job. If Young wins the job, it adds a little more experience to the secondary. If not, Chicago is looking at a young, inexperienced secondary heading into the 2022 season.
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