Bear Digest

Will Tyrique Stevenson lose the Bears' CB2 job to Terell Smith?

Intense battle is brewing to determine who will be the better fit for DC Dennis Allen's defense
Kirsten Tanis|
Chicago Bears cornerback Terell Smith (32) breaks up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks
Chicago Bears cornerback Terell Smith (32) breaks up a pass intended for Green Bay Packers wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks | Tork Mason / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

If there's a silver lining from Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson being sidelined for the first few weeks of training camp with a leg injury, it's this:

Defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, along with defensive backs coach and defensive passing game coordinator Al Harris, will get a lot more reps to evaluate cornerbacks Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith both on the field at the same time against the first-string offense.

The battle of Stevenson versus Smith for the second starting cornerback position will be one of the most hotly contested this training camp, even if it's not being talked about as much as others.

It's actually a battle that began two years ago.

As rookies in 2023, Stevenson and Smith were in a very close competition for the position. Stevenson was named the starter after Smith suffered an injury midway through training camp that kept him out until the final preseason game. There were some at the time who felt if Smith had been healthy, the position may have been his.

Stevenson has held the starting role for two seasons. He was a favorite of former head coach and defensive play caller Matt Eberflus for his hard-hitting tackling and competitive energy.

Yet amid Stevenson's struggles last season, some Bears reporters, analysts and fans started questioning whether it should be Smith, not Stevenson, on the field. And there was good reason.

After a strong finish in 2023, Stevenson regressed in 2024

After a bumpy start to his rookie season, Stevenson thrived in the back half of 2023. The entire secondary benefitted from the increased pass rush after defensive end Montez Sweat was acquired at the trade deadline. That allowed more man coverage to be mixed in where Stevenson excels.

However, the optimism faded as Stevenson regressed significantly in both focus and production in 2024.

  • He got beat more often in coverage and his tackling wasn't as strong.
  • There was his infamous dereliction of duty during the Commanders' Hail Mary pass where he prioritized jawing with fans over business on the field. Then, in a hurry to join the play when he realized what was happening, he rushed in and ended up deflecting the pass to an open receiver in the end zone instead of being in position to defend the pass from being caught by that same receiver.
  • The fallout and aftermath from the Hail Mary debacle impacted his and the team's play amid a ten-game losing streak.
  • He also continued to get worse after the loss of defensive tackle Andrew Billings for the season in Week 9, after which man coverage was used even less.

What might be more concerning is even after the Commanders game incident, he continued to taunt opposing fans instead of staying focused on business on the field. These ongoing maturity issues will need to be addressed by the Bears' new coaching staff if they continue.

Meanwhile, Smith made the most of the opportunities on the snaps he got. Unlike Stevenson, Smith got even better in year two.

Smith's PFF scores have been consistently better than Stevenson's

PFF scores in overall defense, run defense, tackling and coverage reflect the narrative above.

PFF Data
PFF Data

Despite playing one-third as many snaps since 2023, Smith's production and PFF scores surpass Stevenson's on a career per-snap basis. Smith conceded touchdowns at a lower rate than Stevenson. He also had a higher interception and pass breakup rate.

In 2024 specifically:

  • Smith had a lower missed tackle rate (5.9%) vs. Stevenson (13.8%)
  • Smith had a lower passer rating against in coverage (63.8) versus Stevenson (83.2)
  • Smith was better in run defense and signficantly better in zone coverage than Stevenson.
  • Stevenson was better in man coverage.

In fact, Smith had the highest PFF defense score among all Bears' defenders (78.5) in 2024, just slightly above Jaylon Johnson (76.2). Of course, Johnson was usually defending against the opponent's best receiver. But it's noteworthy nonetheless that Smith had a slight edge in both run defense and coverage scores over Johnson.

Fit with Dennis Allen's scheme will be the deciding factor

There are a few things we know about Allen's defense. It will be more aggressive, feature increased pass pressure, and include a much higher percentage of man coverage.

Whereas former head coach Eberflus' defense ran man coverage on less than 20% of defensive snaps last year, Allen's defenses have featured the second-highest rate of man coverage in the NFL (55%) since 2016, per Courtney Cronin of ESPN.

That could give Stevenson a leg up in the competition, as his bump-and-run aggressive style in press man is his biggest strength. Smith will need to step up his game in press man to compete, but it's important to remember that he will be significantly better in the 45% of Allen's defense that runs zone coverage.

Allen has also identified the need for more speed on defense. That's a big reason why he drafted rookie linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II for his elite speed in the fourth round.

Smith is faster and has better lateral agility than Stevenson. Smith ran a 4.41 second 40-yard dash at the Combine versus Stevenson who ran it in 4.45 seconds. 

Smith also had the fifth-fastest top speed (24.16 MPH) of the 208 players who were tracked during the forty-yard dash at the 2023 NFL Combine.

And this is why we have training camp battles. Two talented players who will continue to push each other as they compete for the starting job. Battling in front of coaches who are giving every player a fresh opportunity to shine.

I believe this competition will be close.

  • Smith is the more complete player. If he can continue to outshine Stevenson in most areas and show he can be competitive in man coverage during camp, I wouldn't be surprised to see Smith starting Week 1.
  • Stevenson's talent is far better suited for Allen's defense than it ever was for Eberflus'. If he can take this fresh opportunity to put last season behind him — and demonstrate that he's a force in man coverage and better than he's been in the other aspects — I could also see him retaining his role.

Regardless of who wins, it's a win-win situation for the Bears. The starter best suited for this defense will triumph, and the secondary depth on the roster will remain strong.

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Kirsten Tanis
KIRSTEN TANIS

Kirsten Tanis has been covering the Chicago Bears since 2023 with balanced, insightful and well-researched analysis. A lifelong avid sports fan, she is most passionate about NFL Football and believes flea flickers are underrated. She lives with her husband, 3 kids and cats.

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