Obstacle Course for Top Bears Defensive Rookies

The top defensive players drafted this year by the Bears have done enough to impress teammates and coaches but they've had to overcome their shares of flaws.

Rarely does the path to NFL success come free of obstacles for rookies.

Even the best have something to overcome as they adjust.

The top three Bears defensive picks selected all have shown up in practice at times but also had difficulties with certain aspects of the game. Coaches worked to correct those.

The two Bears defensive tackles chosen on Day 2 of the draft, Zacch Pickens from South Carolina and Gervon Dexter Jr., both show the need to take coaching points and apply them.

Dexter, the 6-foot-6, 312-pounder from Florida, had Bears defensive tackle Justin Jones raving about his natural ability but coach Matt Eberflus points out one key flaw he needs to adjust. It's something they tell players on the line starting at Pop Warner level.

"He's really doing a better job every single day," Eberflus said of the draft's 53rd pick overall. "It's not consistently where it needs to be. Along with that get-off (of the ball), because he's such a tall man, his pad level, he's really got to understand that charge. He is really strong and he can do some things being a little higher and getting away with it.

"But if he wants to be elite, he's going to have to learn how to get off consistently and keep his pads down as he does that. He's starting to do that. He's looking better and better every single day."

Eberflus said it's been a point of emphasis for defensive line coach Travis smith and assistant line coach Justin Hinds, as well as vetera players.

"The rookies learn so much from the veterans," Eberflus said. "(Andrew) Billings in there and Justin Jones in there, he's just soaking in everything he can from those guys."

Jone said some of this can be corrected by understanding formations and anticipating the snap.

"Anticipating where your first step is going to be and how to fight just when you get off the ball," Jones said. "We talk about that in meetings all the time. Pre-snap reads and split formations, running back depth, O-linemen split sides, eyes to the O-linemen. We talk about all sorts of things that the average rookie probably wouldn't recognize.

"But he's not your average rookie in my opinion. I feel like he's able to get all that knowledge and be able to show it on the field."

Pickens, chosen in Round 3 out of South Carolina, has some basic issues as well.

"I think he's going to be good," Jones said. "He kind of reminds me of myself, also a third-round pick coming out of NC State and everything. I was also playing nose my first year coming out of college.

"It's for the same reason, really want you to use your hands and learn how to knock guys back and really get your feet in the ground, and stuff like that. I think he has the chance to be a really, really explosive D-lineman, because he definitely has the edge for it. He showed that at South Carolina. We're just trying to get it where he can show it in the NFL."

Eberflus said Pickens made advancements by keeping it basic in the last three-practice set the team had. With Jones, Billings, Dexter and Savvion Roy involved in a rotation, it's going to be a real battle for Pickens to find playing time.

"We really worked with him on his pass rush and real simple: Just take off, long arm and then working one move from there and I think that he's doing a really good job with that," Eberflus said. "When you have a rookie, you just keep it real small like that and a guy can improve. And when he gets that down you need to move onto the next thing. He's doing a real nice job so far."

Second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson at first seemed destined to take the starting left cornerback spot, but when Terell Smith made great strides early in camp it became a battle.

Now Stevenson is showing up more.

It's a case of being persistent for Stevenson because the Bears insist his abilities are obvious.

"Really just to keep working at his craft," Eberflus said. "He's a long player. He's got long levers and that's enabled him to really do a good job on the line of scrimmage. It also enables him to do a good job at the catch point because he can work that.

"He's got really good poise at that catch point. A lot of times rookies get to the point of no return where the ball's there and they're there and a lot of times they panic and grab, all those types of things. He doesn’t have that. He's very poised."

When Stevenson battled back after losing some ground to Smith early, it didn't surprise veteran cornerback Jaylon Jones.

"He's not the guy to pout or walk around with his head down or kind of feel sorry for himself," Jones said. "At the end of the day he knows he's a rookie. He knows the situation and knows the competition that's there and I think both of them are doing a great job embracing it, continuing to still be friends."

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