Bear Digest

Bears Cornerback Group Comes Away with a No. 1 Rating

One assessment of the entire cornerback group, based on last year's production, has the Bears ranked No. 1 in the NFL.

Gene Chamberlain

Jaylon Johnson steps in front of Sam LaPorta for one of his four interceptions in a Pro Bowl season.
Jaylon Johnson steps in front of Sam LaPorta for one of his four interceptions in a Pro Bowl season. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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The Bears secondary is fielding praise much they way they did footballs in the second half of last season.

Considering the team tied for first in interceptions and had only six at the trade deadline, that's a lot of praise.

While rating position groups in the league on SiriusXM's NFL Radio, former NFL scout and longtime analyst Pat Kirwan on the Movin' The Chains podcast with Jim Miller had the Bears cornerbacks group rated No. 1 in the league. This isn't just the starters.

Admittedly, Miller is a former Bears quarterback who has provided analysis on the team's preseason telecasts for years. But he normally also provides very objective analysis of the Bears, almost to a fault.

It was Kirwan's point total for cornerbacks that was used in this discussion, however. He determined the 49ers were rated second, then the Vikings, Browns, Saints and Rams.

Kirwan particularly liked the top three of Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson. He reeled off a list of their statistics during the year.

"Those three guys: 10 interceptions, 32 passes defensed, three forced fumbles, five tackles for loss, two hits on a quarterback, 183 tackles," Kirwan said.

Kirwan pointed out they did this with fewer than 17 starts apiece.

"And Jaylon Johnson only played in 14 games, so think about that for a second," Kirwan said. "He missed three games. And our friend there, (Kyler) Gordon, he missed a bunch of games (4)."

The depth of the cornerbacks figured in, as well, with Terell Smith, Greg Stroman, Josh Blackwell and Jaylon Jones.

"Then you go to the backups and you still have to realize all the things they did," Kirwan said. "Five starts between them—I'd like eight or nine but I'll take five—seven pass defneses, an inteception, 99 tackle."

Kirwan should have used overall defensive plays instead of starts because Smith had 377 and Stroman 150, which are good amounts for backup players.

The number of starts for backups is really irrelevant.  Also, the start total he did use isn't really accurate because Gordon is listed as a starter for only seven games but he's not a backup. He's the slot cornerback and essentially starts every game when healthy. He just isn't on the field when they begin a game in the base with strongside linebacker Jack Sanborn in the alignment. They play more snaps normally with the nickel cornerback on the field, anyway.

When Gordon was out four games, Stroman was the backup who started in all four games for him and not one as they list. Smith started four games, so it actually was eight games started by backup cornerbacks.

"Think about this: They are young, they had two rookies play that produced (Stevenson and Smith)," Miller added. "You factor in the safeties, they've got veteran safeties too. This is a really good secondary the Bears have put together and they are only going to get better."

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Taken into account, perhaps it's not surprising Caleb Williams had a tough time in Week 1 in the OTA practice media saw, then enjoyed more success Friday. The secondary was using reserves against the first team in Week 2.

Considering Pro Football Focus grades Johnson the league's sixth-best cornerback and best last year, and had Byard graded the 12th best safety, and that The33rdTeam.com has Stevenson among potential defensive stars for this season, the assessment by Kirwan looks all the more accurate.

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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.