The expectations are high for Kyler Gordon
The Chicago Bears are less than six weeks away from taking the field in Canton Ohio for the Hall of Fame game, which will be the unofficial start to the 2024 NFL season.
There are high expectations for the Bears due to their reconstructed offense with rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, but anticipation is high for the defense, including its’ talented secondary. With the immense level of talent at the cornerback and safety positions heading into 2024, it could be third-year cornerback Kyler Gordon who has the most success.
Kyler Gordon Could Be The Benefactor Of A Loaded Bears’ Defense
Since being hired in January of 2022, Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles has worked relentlessly to overhaul the team’s roster, beginning with the defense first. Poles’ first selection as Chicago’s general manager came in the second round of the 2022 NFL Draft when the team selected Kyler Gordon in the second round from Washington.
Coming out of college, Gordon was touted for his athletic ability and high-level talent for taking the ball away by jumping opposing pass-catchers’ routes. In his first season with the Bears, the rookie stood out with three interceptions.
Last, season, despite a horrific start by Chicago’s defense due to a lack of pass rush from the defensive line and multiple injuries to the starting secondary, the unit managed to finish as one of the league’s best, recording the most interceptions.
Following a broken hand in Week One that kept him out for nearly five weeks, Kyler Gordon returned to Chicago’s defensive unit as they gradually improved on a weekly basis, especially after the acquisition of Pro Bowl defensive end Montez Sweat. From Week 1 through Week 10, Chicago’s defense recorded only six interceptions, but from Week 11 on, they intercepted 16 passes.
Chicago’s defensive secondary and their surge was led by the unit’s starting cornerbacks in Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson and rookie Tyrique Stevenson who combined for eight interceptions. Heading into 2024, Stevenson is expected to improve with another offseason in head coach Matt Eberflus’ Cover-2 defensive scheme, while Johnson received a massive contract extension worth over 76 million dollars.
The intimidating cornerback duo could cause opposing offenses to look elsewhere when trying to complete a pass, and paired with a pass-rush forcing hurried throws, will lead to another player in the defensive secondary to have opportunities to rack up interceptions.
Never forget when Kyler Gordon was doing it ALL against the Cardinals last season. 👀
Don’t be shocked if Gordon is one of the best slot CBs in the league this year. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NlM9BVdA0I
— Bearsszn (@bearssznn) June 25, 2024
Kyler Gordon could be that player, given how consistent he has been during his first two seasons in the league. The third-year cornerback has recorded five interceptions in his brief career and has been able to take away those passes because of his ability to undercut opposing receivers’ routes. With Kyler Gordon’s strength of playing at nickelback position, there is a significant chance that he has a massive season ahead of him.
Chicago has a prominent history of seeing a defensive back thrive in the Cover-2 defensive scheme and generate multiple interceptions throughout a season. Under Eberflus, there is no difference as in his first two seasons as Bears’ head coach, he has had back-to-back years of a defensive back recording four or more interceptions. In 2022, safety Eddie Jackson recorded four picks while playing in only 12 games. This was significant as Jackson had been a All-Pro and had not recorded a single interception in 2020 or 2021.
Nickel Corners Like Kyler Gordon Have Thrive In The Bears’ Cover-2 Defense
With Kyler Gordon being the Bears’ starting slot cornerback to begin the 2024 season, the potential for success is high given what has transpired with previous players at the position when the team has utilized the Cover-2 defensive scheme. Eberflus isn’t the first head coach Chicago has had to deploy the specific type of defense, as former head coach Lovie Smith utilized the philosophy during his coaching tenure from 2004 to 2012. A signature trait of Smith’s defensive unit was their ability to create turnovers at will, including multiple interceptions per game.
In each of Smith’s eight seasons as Bears’ head coach, a player playing in the slot cornerback position recorded at least one interception in all but one of those seasons. Over that span, there was a different player in the role each season, including pass-coverage defender such as R.W. McQuarters, Corey Graham, Ricky Manning Jr, D.J. Moore, and Daniel Manning Jr.
The emphasis of a consistent pass-rush generated from the defensive line enables linebackers and defensive backs to drop back into pass-coverage, which is another reason why the nickelback position is so vital for the scheme.
There have been several seasons where the slot corner has led the Bears’ defense in interceptions. In Chicago’s NFC Championship year of 2006, Manning Jr led the unit with five interceptions, partially due to opposing offenses avoid Pro Bowl cornerback Nathan Vasher, who picked off eight passes the year prior. In 2010, Moore recorded five interceptions for a defensive which was one of the league’s best and helped propel the team to the NFC Championship game.
Due to the presence of Johnson and Stevenson, there will be a defensive back that will be targeted and have the chance to make the most of the increased targets to create more interceptions, and that player will be Kyler Gordon. In only 27 games, Gordon has created six takeaways, with only one being a fumble recovery. If Chicago’s defense plays to the level that they finished 2023 at, the 2024 season will be a dominant one with the success highlighted by several defensive stars, including the defense’s starting slot cornerback.
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