The Chicago Bears could deploy a new defensive scheme
The Chicago Bears 2020 NFL draft is in the rearview mirror. Fans and analysts will do their best to depict grades on the players being taken. Honestly, draft grades are pointless. They talk about how a team should have drafted a particular player in a specific area. I am all about positional value, not taking a kicker or a fullback too soon.
A team should focus on overall positions of need, not just the greatest need overall. Draft grades and more are for another topic. The Chicago Bears did an excellent job of finding more defensive help. Some might see it as a bit of overkill, but as I wrote earlier before the draft, if the Chicago Bears select certain players, a defensive scheme tweak might be coming to the Bears. Let’s examine how and why that is possible.
With the 50th overall pick, the Chicago Bears selected cornerback Jaylon Johnson. Instead of adding an off-ball zone defender, Chuck Pagano’s side got a press-man cover cornerback. Johnson is highly intelligent and studies film like no other. He is a reliable option to be the wingman of Kyle Fuller.
With the 163rd overall pick, the Chicago Bears selected Kindle Vildor. Another press-man coverage cornerback. Vildor is listed about two inches shorter than Johnson. Primarily an outside cornerback, Ryan Pace has stated that he believes Vildor can play inside and outside.
It could be that he is just a developmental piece that the team would like to groom for the future. However, as a fifth-round selection, Vildor will need to play special teams and provide depth to stay on the active roster. He is already competing in a now crowded cornerback room.
In 2018 the Chicago Bears were in nickel 64% of the time, base defense 30%, and dime 5%. That was under the Denver Broncos head coach Vic Fangio. Chuck Pagano stated how he would commit to the Chicago Bears defense and players instead of making significant changes right away.
In 2019 the Bears were in nickel 76% of the time, base 17%, and dime 5%. An increase in nickel packages for Pagano and his crew. To compare, the Broncos ran base defense 47% of the time, 28% dime, and 27% nickel. Remember that Vic Fangio and Chuck Pagano worked together with Baltimore back during their historic run.
So what was stopping the Chicago Bears from running more dime packages? The “so-called good players” coach Fangio once said. Pagano now has Kyle Fuller on the outside with Kevin Toliver, Artie Burns, and Jaylon Johnson.
In the slot, Pagano has Buster Skrine and Duke Shelley. Hybrid cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and Stephen Denmark can be deployed differently was in similar packages depending situation. I fully expect Chuck Pagano to use a more extensive variety of sub-packages this next season.