The Chicago Bears losing Akiem Hicks to injury is devastating. Who are five players who will be impacted most by his loss?
The news of Chicago Bears defensive end Akiem Hicks going on the IR is devastating. Hicks is one of the best players in the NFL at his position, and not many players are better than him on the entire roster. Surviving the rest of the season without him will be crucial.
Of course, the next man up mentality has to be applied. No one is going to feel bad for the Bears, and the depth will be called upon. Still, Hicks presence on the field impacts more than just his position. He helps open up others with good matchups on defense.
Who are five players that will be impacted the most by the loss of Hicks?
5. Roy Robertson-Harris
Robertson-Harris has been playing for a contract this year. So far, he has lived up to the big year and has earned himself a decent chunk of change on the open market. Being a depth player on the Bears obvious was going to hinder his production, but he was making the most of limited snaps.
Now, Roy Robertson-Harris has a chance to make serious money with a strong end to his season. Bilal Nichols is still banged up and will be eased into replacing Hicks. However, with Hicks out, the starter on Sunday is going to be RRH. He is going to play almost every snap on Sunday and arguably will play more than Eddie Goldman due to his pass-rush ability.
If Robertson-Harris dominates starter type snaps, a team is going to pay him to be a legitimate starter for them next season. This would help keep the Bears defense running as if nobody was lost. However, on the other end, we could learn that Roberston-Harris is great in small doses, but does not have the size to grind out full games. Robertson-Harris wearing down with more snaps will show his NFL ceiling is capped, but will also spread the Bears even thinner.
4. Nick Williams
Robertson-Harris is in for the biggest increase in role. However, this is going to result in a huge step up in playing time for Williams as well. Again, Nichols will work back in, but next week it may be Williams and Robertson-Harris next to Eddie Goldman in three-man front looks. That is a drastic change.
Williams stepped up for an injured Hicks against Minnesota and proved his worth as a bottom end of the roster player. However, against Oakland, we learned why he was on the roster bubble. He can give you impact in spurts but is not an every-down player. The Bears will hope to pick and choose their spots with Williams and get the most out of him. This is a journeyman who is smart but does not have that extra gear.
How can the Bears manage his snaps, and if they do have to rotate more lineman in, what is the drop off from him to a player such as Abdullah Anderson?
3. Roquan Smith
Hicks does not only affect the “next man up” mentality. He is going to impact the entire defense. One player who is going to have to step up in the same way as the depth on the defensive line is Roquan Smith.
Smith was a former top 10 pick and has been and down this season for a variety of reasons. However, is a big season for him as the team slowly transitions from Danny Trevathan to Smith as the play-caller.
Smith has been a menace tackling the run, but he is a player who will miss Hicks more than most. Hicks taking up blocks in the run frees up alleys for Smith to roam clean, away from lineman. He is a bit smaller but has great speed, and instincts. When Smith hits the right gap, and is clean, he is a playmaker.
If Williams and Robertson-Harris do not take up blocks the way that Hicks can, lineman will get their hands on Smith more. Before the draft, his biggest question came down to disengaging from lineman. This will not be talked about, but the performance of Smith will be huge without Hicks.
2. Eddie Jackson
Again, this will impact the entire defense. Hicks is a superb run defender, and that is where many recognize his skills. However, he has 23 sacks in the past three seasons, averaging almost eight per year. That is not the sack production of a pure run defender.
Hicks holds his ground, takes up double teams, and gets up-field to make life hectic on the passer. Eddie Jackson benefits from Akiem Hicks in a variety of ways.
Jackson likes to take his calculated chances. He has a great understanding of the rest of the defense, and where they are, and it allows him to step out of his boundary to try to make a play. This is what makes his value so high.
However, Jackson was always operating on the idea that pressure from Hicks was coming. He was able to capitalize on quarterbacks under duress. If the pass rush does not come at the same speed, can Jackson make the same plays? Could the gambling turn into big plays with the quarterback feeling more comfortable? Will he get more conservative? This is all on the table moving forward.
1. Khalil Mack
Not many fans are going to be worried about Mack, and they shouldn’t be. Mack is going to be just fine without Hicks. However, this is less about Mack struggling and more about the overall ceiling of this team.
Do you know what is better than Khalil Mack rushing the passer? Mack and Hicks on the same side, forcing lineman to choose their fate. Mack and Hicks typically lined up on the right side together where they harassed right tackles and guards. This made it tougher to double team either.
On top of that, Chuck Pagano has moved his defensive line around more than Vic Fangio ever did. Mack will line up all over the line, and so will Hicks. They can double team weak spots of the line, or spread apart and pick their spots.
The overall versatility of the line is less dynamic because of Hicks. So yes, Mack will be fine. However, the ceiling of the best defensive line, and an unstoppable force heading into the playoffs has to be lowered a bit.