Chicago Bears rookie analysis: Defense and UDFA
How did the Chicago Bears 2017 draft class fare in year one?
The Chicago Bears 2017 draft class will always be linked to Mitchell Trubisky, but there is more to that. They took a lot of big shots, and hit on a few of them in year one. That includes safety Eddie Jackson, the only defensive pick for the Bears last year.
Jackson, a player who fell in the draft due to a broken leg started in every game and led the team in snaps played. For a rookie, he was great. He is not the most sound tackler, but that can come with time. In terms of coverage, and being the over the top blanket that keeps things from blowing up, he has been excellent.
It is what a Vic Fangio defense needs, and he is the perfect fit in Chicago.
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As for the Undrafted Free Agents Rashaad Coward, a defensive lineman did stick around on the practice squad, and found himself on the roster for one game. He was inactive. Tanner Gentry got onto the field in spurts as well after going up and down from the roster to the practice squad.
The bad news? Those are the only undrafted free agents who managed to stick around past one season. The good news? No one else stuck onto any other teams either. To keep two players that no other team even though to draft, and to actually get playing time out of Gentry is not bad. There is a chance that Coward can slide into the back up nose tackle position next season as well.