Bear Digest

Bears Roster Breakdown: Maintaining Momentum Cornerbacks' Aim

Analysis: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon and the Bears cornerbacks finished strong but nothing guarantees they resume operations at the same point.

Gene Chamberlain

Tyrique Stevenson and the Bears cornerbacks know where they need to go but starting off where they left off won't be easy.
Tyrique Stevenson and the Bears cornerbacks know where they need to go but starting off where they left off won't be easy. / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports
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Bears cornerbacks coach and defensive passing game coordinator Jon Hoke rarely resorts to hyperbole and easily could have when talking about the defense and specific cornerbacks heading into OTAs.

"You don't ever want to make predictions, or comparisons," Hoke said. "Every year is a different year, so we have a good group coming back. We like them, so we will see how it shakes out."

Perhaps than skill level, the danger of being overly satisfied about the second half of last season threatens the Bears defense and particularly the cornerbacks.

The obvious player fitting this concern is Jaylon Johnson after he got a $76 million deal for four years. However, in Johnson's case he has earned much of the respect he gets. He seems to get the complacency danger.

"I mean, the contract changes some people, but I’m not one of those," he said after his big pay day.

One reason Johnson thinks he'll stay on track is a changing role.

"I'm the senior guy in the secondary now," he said.

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With Eddie Jackson gone, he has seniority within the scheme. Safety Kevin Byard has been around much longer but not in this defense.

"Now it will be all (secondary players) looking at me in general," Johnson. "What do you see? How do you see it?

"Stepping into that will be something different."

Johnson's battles with players like Dava nte Adams and Justin Jefferson have earned him the status of leader whether Jackson was back or not.

The real question is where the Bears younger cornerbacks go. Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith and Kyler Gordon showed plenty of promise last year. Gordon was particularly effective in the slot once he got over his injury early in the year and logged some time.

Smith and Stevenson got targeted plenty because teams didn't want to go after Johnson and found Gordon tougher to handle as he logged more time. The rookies began making big plays in the final six games, particularly Stevenson, but there was plenty of room left for improvement. The place where they left off last year can't be assumed for the start of this season, which underscores the importance of what Hoke said about every year being different.

Teams threw at Stevenson 116 times last year, according to Sportradar. He allowed 70 completions for a respectable 60.3% completion percentage.

However, Sportradar charged him with allowing nine touchdown passes and it's why his passer rating against was a so-so 93.7.

Only Eagles cornerback James Bradberry allowed more TD catches last year, according to Sportradar. He gave up 11. Stevenson and Washington's Kendall Fuller allowed nine each.

The 93.7 is not a bad rating against for a rookie. In fact, it was better than Johnson's rating against, although Johnson was trying to do something much more difficult by guarding the best reciever. If Stevenson eliminates the big plays allowed, then he vaults into a higher category.

"For him, just to continue to get consistency," Hoke said how the second-round pick from last year improves. "He's a physical guy, we know that. Just more consistent coverage-wise on a down-to-down basis."

Smith only started four games last year and the Bears liked his overall coverage. For only four starts, he was targeted plenty with 46 faced and 29 completions allowed, or 63%. He gave up only one TD and had a 93.9 passer rating against.

The promise and depth exists among cornerbacks to continue last year's trend of the last seven games, when they had eight of the Bears' interceptions and helped the defense tie for first with 22 on the year.

"I feel like we have to continue to find ways to win," Johnson said.

It's not easy, as the more experienced cornerback can attest.

"I feel like that's been my damn speech for four years," Johnson said. "Hopefully we can get it done. That's what we're working to."

Bears Cornerback Roster Rundown

Starters: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon (slot)

Backups:  Tyrell Smith, Josh Blackwell (slot), Jaylon Jones, Greg Stroman Jr.

Fighting for Roster: Leon Jones*, Reddy Steward*

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*First year with Bears

Published
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.