PFF surprisingly ranks the Bears as secondary in the bottom half of league units originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
This offseason, PFF released its preseason rankings for several position groups. Recently they did a overall classification of every NFL team.
Now, they are ranking the league’s secondary units. Surprisingly, they fitted the Bears in an unfavorable position, placing them 19th in the NFL.
“The Bears signed cornerback Jaylon Johnson to a big contract extension this offseason after a career year,” PFF said. John Kosko wrote. “They also added safety Kevin Byard, who has been one of the best safeties in the NFL since entering the league. Cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson have had their ups and downs in 2023, as has safety Jaquan Brisker, but this unit could be extremely good in 2024 if they capitalize on their high-end skills.”
I think most Bears fans would agree with this consensus for the Bears. It’s well known that Jaylon Johnson has proven himself to be one of the best in the league, ranking first with the best PFF coverage grade in the league.
Kevin Byard is a strong upgrade from Eddie Jackson, whose play has declined since his All-Pro year in 2019. It’s true that both Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson have had their struggles during the 2023 season. But they are both incredibly young.
For what it’s worth, last season the Bears allowed 237.8 passing yards per game (25th in the NFL), 6.6 passing yards per attempt (13th in the NFL), 1.8 passing touchdowns per game (29th in the NFL) and 88 opposing yards. passer rating (12th in NFL).
These statistics are not entirely the fault or credit of the secondary. The Bears’ pass rush last season wasn’t spectacular. Even as Montz Sweat drastically improved the Bears’ pass rush, they finished 31st in the NFL in sacks.
Hopefully the Bears’ young secondary can prove its worth more than its 19th PFF ranking this upcoming season.
