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LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Defensive backs coach Jon Hoke doesn’t exactly enjoy seeing rookie cornerback Tyrique Stevenson jabber with the Chicago Bears receivers in practice or spar with Colts defensive backs during special teams drills.
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But Hoke, a veteran assistant who coached for Lovie Smith’s Bears, doesn’t mind seeing it, either.
“Just don’t get a penalty,” Hoke said. “You want guys that have a little bit of an edge, so to speak, and is a physical type player, but you can’t do things that will hurt your team.”
Case in point: Stevenson received a 15-yard unnecessary-roughness penalty for throwing Colts running back Kenyan Drake out of bounds Saturday in the Bears’ second exhibition game. Drake responded — a lot of players seem to do that when facing Stevenson — and the penalties were offset.
But Stevenson crossed the line for coach Matt Eberflus, defensive coordinator Alan Williams and Hoke. In this case, Stevenson literally threw a player past it.
“I like his physical style of play,” Hoke said. “You can’t have penalties. But he does have a physical presence on the field. Obviously, his size helps him in those things. But he also has his mindset. He’s a physical type of football player. And that’s always welcome here.”
It helped Stevenson earn a starting spot. But he’s not the only draft pick who is in line for early playing time this season. It’s early, but general manager Ryan Poles should feel good about his 2023 draft class:
Pick: 10
Week 1 prediction: Starting right tackle
A camp defined by steady improvement for Wright hit its first speed bump this week. Wright sat out practice on Wednesday after leaving a day earlier with an apparent ankle injury. Every snap in practice matters for him. Offensive line coach Chris Morgan would tell you that.
“He just needs experience,” Morgan said.
That’s with everything. But Wright is on the same path that Braxton Jones was last year. Wright is going to be a rookie starter — and, unlike Jones, he has the first-round pedigree. There will be mistakes ahead. But Wright needs to make them.
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“Just the more time you have, the more times you see a look, the better you learn how to study an opponent, the more comfortable you feel with line calls, the more comfortable you feel with your responsibility,” Morgan said. “He’s going to get better and better every day.”
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Pick: 53
Week 1 prediction: Backup three-technique defensive tackle
According to defensive line coach Travis Smith, improving Dexter’s get-off is a matter of simplifying what he sees.
“My job is to make sure he’s looking at the right thing and he’s not overthinking it,” Smith said. “You talk to guys, all of the sudden it’s: ‘Well, I thought …’ No, no, no, that’s wrong. He’s looking and focusing on one thing. What’s his alignment, what’s his assignment? He knows what he’s keying, and then it’s about disrupting his position the best because it’s not about being perfect. It’s about creating havoc.”
The Bears want to see more of that havoc. Again, the focus should be on what Dexter is seeing. Smith listed plenty, from jet sweeps to where guards pull.
“That’s my job, No. 1, to make sure I make the complex simple and reduce all the thinking,” Smith said. “He sees one spot and there’s the first step every time, run, pass, first down, third down, two-minute, four-minute, fourth quarter. I got to treat them all the same so he’s doing one thing.”
CB Tyrique Stevenson
Pick: 56
Week 1 prediction: Starter
Hoke was asked if Stevenson reminded him of anyone he has coached in his career. Former Bears cornerback Charles Tillman came to mind. But Stevenson is different.
He talks too much.
“(Tillman) was not a very friendly person on the field, but Charles didn’t say anything,” Hoke said. “Tyrique probably has a little more conversation than that, so they all are a little bit different. He’s definitely unique in his way, but it’s in a good way.”
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Stevenson’s trash-talking skills shouldn’t overshadow his talent and improvement on the field. On the “Hoge & Jahns” podcast, Poles said Hoke coaches Stevenson “really hard” and that Stevenson wants all feedback.
“He’s learned every day, gotten better every day,” Hoke said. “(He’s) gotten better with situational football. (He’s) still not there, but he is growing in that part of it. So that’s exciting to see from him.”
The rooks are ready to rumble 👊 pic.twitter.com/8EdUjUeycy
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 19, 2023
Pick: 64
Week 1 prediction: Backup one-technique defensive tackle
Dexter and Pickens might not be starters on Day 1, but the Bears haven’t wasted time when it comes to developing chemistry between them. They’ve played plenty together.
“You want guys working together that are going to play together a lot,” said Smith, the Bears’ defensive line coach. “And so you want them to build that trust and confidence in each other, where they know who the man is they’re next to. They know what the guy is doing. They know they can trust them.”
As Smith explained, Pickens’ primary role is different. He’s not being asked to get up the field and create havoc. He can react to what the offense is trying to do to him.
“Even if you close your eyes, you’re going to feel what’s happening to you and then you’ll be able to react and play more physical and disruptive at that position,” Smith said.
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Pick: 115
Week 1 prediction: Backup running back/special teams contributor
Johnson has been everything the Bears said he’d be after they drafted him.
Running backs coach David Walker said Johnson is doing everything well.
“Probably the best thing he’s done, his attention to detail in terms of the playbook, in terms of the little coaching points we put on certain plays,” Walker said.
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Johnson’s playing time with the starters has increased every week since camp opened, but Khalil Herbert remains the projected starter.
It wouldn’t be surprising, though, if Johnson played more than D’Onta Foreman in the early going. Foreman could be a surprise cut.
“We had kind of a rotation that we were going through,” Walker said, “but (Johnson’s) earned his reps.”
Bears wide receiver Tyler Scott may not have much of a role on offense early in the season. (David Banks USA Today)Pick: 133
Week 1 prediction: Inactive … if Chase Claypool and Velus Jones Jr. are healthy.
Scott upgrades the speed and playmaking of the Bears offense. But it’s a deep position and he’s behind DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and Claypool.
His early impact could be limited to weekly game planning and special teams, where Jones is his competition, including on coverage units.
“What we like about Tyler is his juice,” receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said.
Scott is learning two receiver roles, while Mooney is handling three.
“Tyler is really tough for his size (5-foot-11, 185 pounds),” Tolbert said. “He’ll stick his nose in there and block linebackers and safeties. He’s not scared. He doesn’t bring a lot to the party, but he brings everything he has.”
Pick: 148
Week 1 prediction: Top backup/special teams contributor
Linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi spelled out very clearly where Sewell needs to improve.
“He’s still developing in coverage,” Borgonzi said. “(It’s) just the angles he’s got to take on the ball and (keeping) the leverage on the ball carrier in space. But Noah to me has a really big upside and he’s done some really good things this camp.”
Most of that has come in the run game. Sewell is listed at 246 pounds, but Borgonzi described him as 260 pounds.
“You can really feel his power whether it’s block protection or tackling,” Borgonzi said.
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Pick: 165
Week 1 prediction: Top reserve/special teams contributor
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The competition between Stevenson and Smith faded into the background of camp storylines after Smith suffered an undisclosed injury. It’s now Stevenson’s job to lose — and it doesn’t feel like he will before Week 1.
But Poles did say before last week’s joint practices with the Colts that he was looking forward to that competition resuming.
“One isn’t going to say a word at all and the other one is going to talk a lot,” Poles said on the “Hoge & Jahns” podcast. “But yet, when the ball’s snapped, the skill set for both of them is really intriguing. It’s long; it’s fast; it’s twitchy; and they can make plays on the ball.”
Pick: 218
Week 1 prediction: Practice squad
The numbers aren’t working in Bell’s favor right now, especially with two fellow rookies in front of him, an intense competition occurring among veteran pass rushers and now injuries on the offensive line. The latter will have a ripple effect on roster decisions.
But if you listen closely to Travis Smith, Bell is certainly in a mix for a spot on the first 53-man roster. Similar to Pickens, Bell has played with Dexter as the defense’s one-technique tackle. It doesn’t matter that Bell is undersized at 6-foot.
“When you watch him in there, even watching the end of the (preseason) game when (the Colts) were in four-minute mode, he’s not getting knocked back,” Smith said. “He’s playing with good pad level. He’s got quick feet right there.
“I was taught when I was growing up as an assistant, never put a ceiling on a man, and that’s the same thing for him. He might be 6-foot, but you’re playing like Calais Campbell in there if you have the right heart and you can play with the disposition in there with great pad level and make sure they don’t move you, you move them.”
Pick: 258
Week 1 prediction: Inactive
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Unlike Bell, injuries have turned the numbers in Williamson’s favor to make the initial 53-man roster. With Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker dealing with injuries, Elijah Hicks is the top safety. And with Adrian Colbert now on injured reserve, Williamson and Bralen Trahan are the next in line, along with A.J. Thomas. Williamson and Trahan are rookies, but Williamson is the draft pick, albeit the final one of the class.
“The young pups are getting better,” safeties coach Andre Curtis said. “That first (preseason) game, kind of early, they didn’t know what to expect, as usual. They make it out to be something they haven’t done. Now, the second game they settled down and played better, more consistent football. Yes, they flashed. But they played more consistently in that second game than the first. That’s all you can ask from those young guys is to keep making that steady improvement. They have and they’ve done some cool stuff in practice.”
Special (B)Agent 17 🫡
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 21, 2023
Pick: Undrafted
Week 1 prediction: Backup QB
This prediction feels bold. But with one more preseason game remaining, the Bears appear to have a wide-open competition at backup quarterback between veteran P.J. Walker and undrafted rookie Tyson Bagent. Or close to it.
And Bagent has the momentum.
“I mean everybody has a shot,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “All three guys (including Nathan Peterman) have done a really nice job through training camp. I think you guys have seen, like most of the guys in our training camp, there’s been good days and bad days for everybody and those three specifically. So we’re taking all that in. I know (Bagent) had a great drive and that’s exciting for people, but that’s one drive. We’re going to make that part of the evaluation, but we’re going to take the whole training camp evaluation before we make a decision like that.”
What you’re not hearing from the Bears is that vote of confidence for Walker, who received a two-year deal with $2 million guaranteed to back up Fields.
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Getsy did indicate that all experience will be taken into consideration for the role — and Walker clearly has more in the NFL than Bagent. But Bagent has played better for a couple of weeks in camp. He was 9-for-10 for 76 yards and had a 2-yard touchdown run in the Bears’ 24-17 loss against Colts on Saturday. He led a 17-play, 92-yard scoring drive in the second quarter that surpassed nine minutes.
“I think he’s shown some poise, I think he’s shown a little bit of moxie to him,” quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko said. “When you talk to him, he carries himself like somebody that’s very confident — confident in his abilities — and he’s got a little swagger to him.”
(Top photo of Roschon Johnson: Justin Casterline / Getty Images)
“The Football 100,” the definitive ranking of the NFL’s best 100 players of all time, goes on sale this fall. Preorder it here.
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