The Chicago Bears announced on Saturday the signing of second-round corner defender Kyler Gordon, which carries 11 of the team’s 12 draft contracts under the 2022 season.
This off-season saw the bears pressed the restart button in defense, exchanging Khalil Mack with the Raiders, releasing defender Eddie Goldman and allowing DL Akiem Hicks to find a new home with the Buccaneers in a free agency.
Gordon believes it is a key part of the infusion of new youth and talent. He was Chicago’s first pick in this year’s draft and has already received positive reviews from the team’s coaching staff.
“Kyler has been lighting it up for the last two days, I’ll just tell you that,” head coach Matt Eberflus said after training during the Bears’ off-season program on the team’s website. “The boy has great ball skills. He plays defensively in the right way and we are very impressed with him.”
Defensive backs coach James Rowe, who served in the same position for the Indianapolis Colts when Eberfluss was the defense coordinator there, reiterated his impression of Gordon’s best ball-hunting skills.
“Sometimes boys just have a natural ability to do that,” Rowe said. “I thought (Colts cornerback) Kenny Moore is a man who has natural abilities with that. Gordon has good ball skills and is in a good enough position to be able to look back and locate the quarterback and locate the ball so that he can put himself in those positions and make those plays. “
The only unsigned rookie left in the Chicago draft class in 2022 is safety Jacquan Brisker. The defender fell to the Bears with nine selections after Gordon as another selection from the second round of the team.
After Brisker signs a deal to complement the Bears’ rookie class, the two young defenders can focus on their next task: regaining Chicago’s secondary popularity.
After recording three consecutive seasons as a defense in the top ten, Chicago dropped to 14th place in points allowed in 2020, before falling even further – to a total of 22nd place – last season. The sharp decline coincided with the measly eight interceptions throughout the 2021 campaign.
The desire of the bears to start dominating again on this side of the ball was the main reason for hiring Eberflus and this thinking continued to focus on Gordon with his first peak on the board.
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