The Chicago Bears wanted to build their new roster through the draft. That isn’t a bad thing. In fact, it’s the right thing to do if you want to be a sustained contender. However, it comes at a cost. Young guys need experience, and that experience often comes with making mistakes. The Bears have been giving several rookies lots of playing time. As one would expect, it’s resulted in a mixed bag. There are high moments and low moments. It comes with the territory. However, one particular name is catching the attention of top analysts recently.
Brian Baldinger of NFL Network played in the league for a long time. He’s watched a lot of football. So it’s always interesting to hear his assessment of young players. There was a lot to dislike about the Bears’ ugly 19-13 loss to the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. However, there were also bright spots. Baldinger saw some especially exciting stuff from 2nd round pick Tyrique Stevenson. While mistakes have happened for the young cornerback, his progress has become impossible to ignore after a strong performance against the Vikings.
The Chicago Bears are seeing progress from Stevenson.
One won’t see that right away from the numbers. Quarterbacks have picked on him quite a bit through the season’s first month. Tampa Bay chewed him up for 143 yards and a touchdown. Since then, he seems to have steadied himself for the most part. The past two games showed this, as he had three pass deflections and played strong against the run. There are still moments of lapse in coverage, but some of that is the ongoing problems with the Bears’ pass rush. All things considered, Stevenson has improved.
It is difficult not to feel bad for the rookie. He’s been put in a tough spot from the moment the season began. Opposing quarterbacks have targeted him constantly, often without fear of pressure. Unsurprisingly, more experienced receivers give him plenty of teaching moments. However, he doesn’t seem discouraged by those setbacks. That is the mark of a good cornerback. He has a short memory and continues playing with confidence. The athleticism speaks for itself. There isn’t much he can’t do on the field. His only hurdle is learning to play the game with his head.
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Baldinger seems to think it’s trending in that direction.
