Bears quarterback Justin Fields got what he needed first with the selection of offensive tackle Darnell Wright on Thursday. But Day 2 of the NFL Draft belonged to coach Matt Eberflus.
Defense.
Defense.
Defense.
That’s how the second day of the draft played out for the Bears: Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (No. 53), Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (No. 56) and South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (No. 64). The Bears traded up from No. 61 with the Jaguars to secure Stevenson. The teams exchanged their second-rounders, while the Jaguars gained No. 136, the first pick of the fifth round.
As much as the Bears want to build around Fields — and they have with Wright, receiver DJ Moore and guard Nate Davis — the Bears defense still was the worst unit in the league season.
You know that didn’t sit well with Eberflus. The Bears’ problems didn’t merely keep him up at night. He lived out that nightmare weekly on Sundays. The Bears were last in scoring defense, last in sacks and second to last against the run.
Bad.
Bad.
Bad.
With Day 2 of the draft over, the Bears are now looking at potentially seven new contributors for Eberflus’ defense this season. The entire unit should look and feel vastly different, especially in the front seven. Linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards were the Bears’ prized signings in free agency. Defensive linemen DeMarcus Walker and Andrew Billings also were added.
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“We want to take a big step there,” general manager Ryan Poles said late Friday night at Halas Hall. “We’ve done that in free agency and then we’ve done that in the draft, too. So we get a corner (Stevenson) who can come in and compete for a spot on the outside and then you get those big guys inside to really be in the heavy rotation with Billings and Justin (Jones), who will be really good leaders for those guys, too, be able to show them the way. In this league, in terms of the defensive line, you’ve got to have really two waves. So we’ve been able to start that inside.”
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Poles described Dexter and Pickens as “multipliers.” It’s early praise that shows how high the Bears’ expectations are set for them.
“They punch the pocket; they dent the pocket,” Poles said. “That makes it a shorter edge for the outside guys. In the run game, they’re tougher to move. That allows your linebackers to flow and run even better. They multiply and help everybody.”
And they can both handle three-technique and nose tackle. The Bears view Dexter (6-foot-5, 310 pounds) and Pickens (6-3, 291 pounds) as hybrid players.
“We’re looking for guys who are big, long and can run and are interchangeable: nose, three-technique,” Poles said. “You get kind of chipped up through the season, so you want guys that can fit in different spots. Both of these guys have the ability to do that, so it allows us to be versatile and deep for the entire season.”
It’s an inside-out approach to rebuilding one of the worst defensive lines in the NFL last season, but Poles said that there are capable defensive ends still available on Day 3 of the NFL draft. The Bears are currently on the clock with the first pick in the fourth round.
Eberflus’ influence can be seen in all three of the Bears’ selections on Friday. Dexter, Pickens and Stevenson all graded out highly in terms of speed, length and athleticism.
Gervon Dexter was drafted with pick 53 of round 2 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.53 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 77 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/qHxrG2PXBu pic.twitter.com/MmbecxUWjb
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
Zacch Pickens was drafted with pick 64 of round 3 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 9.23 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 126 out of 1620 DT from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/wUbwSOrpX2 pic.twitter.com/Uxjf7NjduV
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
Tyrique Stevenson was drafted with pick 56 of round 2 in the 2023 draft class. He scored a 8.93 #RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 239 out of 2222 CB from 1987 to 2023. https://t.co/719TJZLt6u pic.twitter.com/SKdpkQeL0v
— Kent Lee Platte (@MathBomb) April 29, 2023
“It’s important to us,” Poles said. “It’s a game for big, fast, strong individuals. So, usually, the cream rises to the top. Those athletic traits are important. But not always is that the case. There are guys who have better instincts and are just above average. I think it just happened this year where they’ve had all the athletic traits and the size and speed we’re looking for.”
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There’s more, too. Stevenson, in particular, comes in with the tenacity and physicality that Eberflus wants to be part of the Bears’ brand of football. The Bears saw that at the Senior Bowl where Stevenson played on offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s team.
“He really flashed to us even more at the Senior Bowl in one-on-ones and some of those press techniques and you’re like, ‘Man, this guy is long and physical,’” Poles said. “You’ve got to be confident to get in someone’s face and take care of business on the line of scrimmage. He did that with an unbelievable skill set and length and all that.”
The selections of Dexter and Pickens required more projection. Their ideal physical traits never turned into overwhelming production in college.
But Poles’ inner scout came out Friday night with explanations.
Here’s what he said about Dexter: “You’re kind of piecing it together. Foot speed. The ability to get skinny. The acceleration of burst to finish. The toolbox in your pass-rush skills. Those go into it. And then what is he asked to do at his school? So for Dexter, little bit more of a square stance, read and mirror, when that’s the case, you’re not really on your toes and penetrating and getting up the field, so you got to piece those things together and that can help you show where the upside is and how in our system it can be even better in terms of how they affect the quarterback.”
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The Bears believe Dexter will do that — affect the quarterback — in their scheme. The same applies to Pickens, while the addition of Stevenson makes the Bears’ young, talented secondary look even better. The Bears have four second-round picks in the secondary now: Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Jaylon Johnson (who Poles said he wants to “to keep here for a while”).
“We continue to get better, bigger, stronger, faster,” Poles said. “The cool thing is when the board plays out where best available also hits some of our needs. That always gets you excited because it pairs up really well and you feel really good about it.”
Eberflus surely does after Friday night. The Bears needed to get better on defense.
(Photo of Gervon Dexter Sr., No. 9: Tim Casey / UAA Communications)
