Not a lot of things went right for the Chicago Bears in 2024, but the one constant for this team over the last couple of years is how shut down their outside cornerbacks are.
Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson have formed quite the team since the Bears selected Stevenson in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft. They both performed well for Chicago last year, which has helped them rank among the best in the NFL.
Bleacher Report writer Moe Moton ranked the best cornerback duo in the NFL. The Bears finished sixth with Johnson and Stevenson becoming big-name players in the secondary.
"Jaylon Johnson's rise to stardom propels the Chicago Bears duo ahead of the Dallas Cowboys tandem.
Johnson has become a household name with back-to-back Pro Bowl seasons, registering six interceptions since 2023 after logging only one in his first three campaigns.
Even though the 26-year-old's completion rate and passer rating allowed dipped significantly over the last two years, he has surrendered just two touchdowns in the 2023 and 2024 terms.
Tyrique Stevenson has had some lowlights, most recently being benched for his lack of focus in coverage on Jayden Daniels' game-winning Hail Mary pass in Week 8 last season.
However, the Miami product showed incremental improvement over the last two years. In 2024, he logged fewer interceptions and pass breakups compared to 2023, but on a positive note, his completion rate and passer rating allowed dropped too. More importantly, he gave up less than half the number of touchdowns last season (four) than in 2023 (nine).
If Stevenson makes a bigger leap in consistency, the Bears' cornerback duo will be in the top five next year."
How Johnson and Stevenson established themselves as one of the best duos
Despite taking some flak for the Commanders' game and dipping in the stats last year, Stevenson still had a solid season and might have had his best season in coverage. He finished with allowing a completion percentage of 56.5 % and a passer rating of 87.5. Both were lower than his rookie season in 2023.
Johnson had a solid season, but the argument could be made that he took a dip in his stats. He allowed a career-worst 66.1% completion percentage, but allowed a passer rating of 92.6, which is the second-best of his career. It was still good enough for him to make the Pro Bowl for the second straight year.
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This roster has improved under the guidance of new head coach Ben Johnson, who has taken over the reins and added new talent. One of the few aspects of the roster that Ben Johnson didn't have to worry about was his secondary, thanks to Jaylon Johnson and Stevenson playing so well.
With the Bears still having some questions around the edge rushers, the team might lean more on Johnson and Stevenson to continue their stellar play on the field.