Kevin Byard is a perfect fit for the Chicago Bears Secondary

The Chicago Bears' defense has been playing great football to start the season. Going into week 6 the Bears ranked near the top of the NFL in a fair amount of defensive metrics. There are a lot of pieces that go into the defense being as good as it is. However, I think a lot of the success comes from the level of play the Bears have gotten from the secondary.

It is no secret that the Jaylon Johnson extension headlined the Bears offseason, but it seems that wasn't the only move made this offseason that helped this secondary become one of the best in football.

Another big move they made was adding veteran Kevin Byard to replace Eddie Jackson. Although Jackson had his ups and downs the last few years, Byard had some big shoes to fill. It may only be 6 games into the season but it seems as if he is filling those shoes quite nicely. Even though he may say he isn't taking the ball away enough he is impacting the game in a variety of other ways.

Kevin Byard has added a new level to the Bears' defense.

One of the most important ways he is impacting this team is through his leadership. Byard's leadership seems to be helping this young secondary continue its development. All three of the Bears youngsters in the secondary have made plays throughout games that show they are bought into this system and are very capable of playing at a high level.

Although Byard's leadership is very important, it isn't the only thing that makes him important to this defense. Byard also brings very solid play to the free safety position. Byard got his first pick in a Bears uniform against the Panthers and followed it up this week with a touchdown-saving pass breakup.

Byard has proven to be very dependable in his career and brings a very professional approach to the game. He has also shown why he was a very solid pickup from Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears, as he continues to bring both solid play and great veteran leadership to a young secondary.