Bear Digest

Bears 2024 Training Camp Preview: Well-Seasoned Cornerbacks Step Ahead

Analysis: The Bears cornerbacks might actually be their strongest position group after a 2023 when young players like Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith and Kyler Gordon gained experience.

Gene Chamberlain

Jaylon Johnson closes in on Jakobi Meyers in the Bears' win over the Raiders last season.
Jaylon Johnson closes in on Jakobi Meyers in the Bears' win over the Raiders last season. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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Jaylon Johnson did a tour of all the podcasts and radio shows last week and has tp be glad training camp is about to start so he can stop answering questions about quarterback Caleb Williams and focus on cornerback, how he plays it and how the others on the team play it.

After all, it's where he has expertise and it might be where the Bears have their greatest strength, possibly even better than the linebackers and wide receivers.

They indicated how much they respect Johnson earlier this offseason by giving him the $76 million deal.

"I feel like for me in that situation I had a lot to prove and pretty much have proven that I have some value on the defense and I have value on the field," Johnson said.

Johnson has never allowed better than 59.7% completions when targeted and last year hit a career-low 55.2%. At the same time, Sportradar tracked him at a career-best passer rating against of 50.9 when targeted.

About the only thing Johnson could be criticized for is eight missed tackles, and considering how hard he hits and his three career forced fumbles, a few missed tackles can be shrugged off.

The only other fault in Johnson isn't really his doing. He has yet to miss less than two games in a season and missed nine games the last two years.

Because teams respected Johnson last year they stopped attacking him and went after rookie Tyrique Stevenson. Johnson faced just 58 targets while Stevenson was attacked twice as many times with 116 throws.

The extra work for Stevenson served to toughen him to the point where the Bears can be entirely confident in him regardless of who they face.

"I'd say that's one thing from the beginning, he's just gotten smarter and more comfortable," slot cornerback Kyler Gordon said. "And the more comfortable he got, to me, the more plays he's made. That happens.

"Being a rookie, you just get feet established and stuff like that. Tyrique is a confident dude and he's feeling (better about) himself so he's gonna make his plays and get better and better."

As a result of Stevenson's rise, with only two TD passes allowed in his final seven games, led Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness to put him on the All-Breakout team for 2024.

If it was only Stevenson's improvement as a young cornerback it might not be as big of a reason for Bears optimism, but Gordon made strides last year after coming back from an early injury and finished with two interceptions and a 93.9 passer rating against for 61 targets.

Even second-year cornerback Terell Smith, the first backup off the bench, impressed coaches last year enough to anticipate he could perform more than adequately if they needed to start him. He started four games last year and had the same passer rating against as Gordon.

"That's really part of a function of us playing the young guys, rookies, fast," coach Matt Eberflus said.  "You got Johnson, who has done an outstanding job last year, obviously, and then Tyrique.

"Really, my hats off to all the veterans for helping (Stevenson) out and bringing him along. He had a really good year last year and we expect more out of him this year. And then Smitty. Smitty's done a good job of stepping in there when those guys have soft tissue or are in a rotation. He's going to be competing for some of that time too."

Johnson recalled when he was a rookie and how he had to prove himself.

He's convinced the young cornerbacks are where they need to be after they proved themselves.

"I think really just, I feel like now I feel like really the biggest difference is you have is to kind of prove yourself as a rookie, that you belong in that room," Johnson said. "And now talking, I feel like that was one of the biggest things that I was trying to do—I feel like just coming in and prove myself.

"I feel like now it's a situation where everybody is pretty much proven and ... nobody is new, nobody is really a rookie, nobody hasn't proved themselves. Everybody has skin in the game and everybody knows what we can do."

It's a defense to look out for because the cornerbacks have the experience and success needed to establish this.

Bears Cornerback Outlook

Starters: No. 1 Jaylon Johnson, No. 29 Tyrique Stevenson, No. 6 Kyler Gordon (slot)

Backups: No. 32 Terell Smith, No. 39 Josh Blackwell (slot), No. 21 Jaylon Jones, No. 27 Greg Stroman Jr.

Roster Hopefuls: No. 46 Reddy Steward, 20 Leon Jones

Strengths: Zone coverage is the strongest point for all of the group after two seasons in Matt Eberflus' scheme. Depth is a huge asset after Smith developed by the end of last year.  They also have the slot covered by two backups who were effective last season when needed. Overall length and athleticism are also strong points. Blackwell might be the fastest cornerback on the roster with a sub-4.4 40 and is one of the most effective special teams players.

Weaknesses:  Johnson and Stevenson have proven to be effective in man-to-man, in addition to zone but overall they're not as dependable going up in press coverage. Their third-down coverage improved with greater confidence last year but still wasn't particularly strong as they ranked 29th at 44.14%.

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Gene Chamberlain

GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.