The Chicago Bears knew they had some great athletes in their 2023 draft class. Next on the agenda was molding them into capable football players. The preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans was a great opportunity to continue the evaluation. Most of the story centered on Justin Fields, for obvious reasons. He finished 3-of-3 for 129 yards and two touchdowns. Both passes were short that went the distance, something Fields didn’t have last year. However, the bigger story was how good several draft picks looked in their limited snaps.
Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson lived up to his camp stories with a terrific pass breakup in the 1st quarter that was almost an interception. Then he blew up a wide receiver screen in the 2nd. Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens also got in on the fun, splitting a Titans double team to sack quarterback Will Levis for an 8-yard loss. Last but not least was Darnell Wright. The 10th overall pick not only had a great outside block to spring Khalil Herbert for a chunk gain, but he also had an outstanding pass block to allow Fields time to escape the pocket before finding Herbert for a 56-yard touchdown catch-and-run.
The Chicago Bears should be happy with this first performance.
Not everything was perfect, but the flash plays showcased exactly why the Bears drafted those guys. Wright’s athleticism was on display from the jump, ruining the narrative that he couldn’t move like other tackles in the draft. Pickens showcased his major pass rush upside that was always there at South Carolina. It just wasn’t exploited enough. Stevenson, though, was the big winner on Saturday. He was everywhere, knocking down passes and making tackles. He showed the instincts and feistiness that drew the Bears to him in the first place.
This doesn’t even include Noah Sewell. The 5th round pick added four tackles and a sack during the first half as well. There wasn’t much to be sad about for the Chicago Bears. It was some early validation that they made some good selections in April. The challenge now is getting them to build on these successes. It won’t always be positive. There will be setbacks in the future. That is natural for rookies. Yet to see them look so active and productive right out of the gate has to be a good sign.
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