Trevis Gipson was kind of a forgotten man in 2021. The former 5th round pick was expected to be nothing more than a part-time outside linebacker. He’d serve the role of an emergency option behind veterans Khalil Mack, Robert Quinn, and Jeremiah Attaochu going into the season. Then, as is so often the case in the NFL, things changed. Attaochu was lost for the year due to a knee injury, and then Mack went out with a foot problem.
Just like that, Gipson went from projected 4th-string afterthought to starter opposite Quinn. It gets even better too. The 24-year old played well. Really well. Far better than anybody had any right to expect. He finished with seven sacks and 16 pressures in just 229 total rush snaps. That was better than Chase Young. His overall game took a noticeable step forward, and the scary part is it can happen again in 2022.
For a few reasons.
First is the exit of Mack from Chicago. The Bears traded the star pass rusher to the Los Angeles Chargers for two draft choices and $4 million in cap space. While disappointing for many fans, it was an exciting moment for Gipson. That means barring an unexpected turn of events, he will be starting at defensive end across from Quinn when the regular season begins. More pass rush opportunities could equal more sacks.
That leads to the other factor. The new defensive scheme under Matt Eberflus might be a better fit for him. Don’t forget Gipson was a defensive end coming out of Tulsa in 2020. His body type is built for that position. Not only that, but Eberflus has a reputation for elevating defensive linemen to play their best football. Denico Autry, Margus Hunt, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and DeForest Buckner all achieved career highs in either sacks or QB hits under his direction in Indianapolis.
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Trevis Gipson will be allowed to attack more often now
The new 4-3 defense being installed is designed around having four down linemen generate pressure on the quarterback by themselves. When they can, the scheme is highly effective. When playing outside linebacker, Gipson had other responsibilities. One of them was often dropping into coverage to help mask blitz schemes. That isn’t likely to happen much in this new alignment. As a defensive end, he’ll have two jobs. Set the edge against the run and get after the quarterback.
The only question is whether he’s willing to put in the necessary work and effort that Eberflus and his staff demand. Based on what Trevis Gipson put himself through to remake his body in the first place, that won’t be a problem. He is a driven young man who is still exploring the depths of his potential.
The stars might be aligning for him to truly explode next season.
It will be interesting to see how GM Ryan Poles and Eberflus retool the defense around him. Chicago still needs a legitimate interior pass rusher to complement Gipson and Quinn. They also need more talent and depth at cornerback. A lot of work is left to be done. It should be a fun next few months.
