The Chicago Bears' defense looks better than expected this season. That can't happen without the help of some players who exceed expectations.
Which players are bringing the biggest surprise and helping the unit?
3. DeMarcus Walker
All offseason the talk was that the Bears edge rusher room was not good enough, mainly because of DeMarcus Walker. However, when the Bears added Darrell Taylor, it was less about replacing Walker, and more about putting him in better spots to succeed. This year, Walker is playing better than ever before.
He does not have the sack production to show for it, but his pass rush win rate is 17.3%, per PFF. That is up from 10.8% last season. If you watch the tape you can see that he is winning much more often as well.
2. Gervon Dexter Sr.
We knew that Gervon Dexter was going to play more in 2024, and thus it should have led to a higher statistical output. So far, he is exceeding those expectations. Dexter went from 40.3% of the snaps played to 72.4% this season.
He has already topped his sack output from last year. However, even better is seeing that he has four run stops and three tackles for loss. Last year he had six run stops and no tackles for loss.
Most fans knew he would be a good pass rusher, but last year he was a poor run defender. Only 30.9% of his snaps were on run-downs last year because the Bears actively took him off the field when it was an obvious run. He is up to 42% of his snaps being on run-downs as they no longer worry about when he is on the field. This is a nice upgrade.
1. Kevin Byard
No offense to Eddie Jackson, but there is a reason why he is a part-time player in Baltimore, and Kevin Byard is starting for a thriving Bears defense. This was an upgrade. Still, Byard was not coming off of his best year, so many were questioning how big of an upgrade. So far, Byrard is setting career lows in missed tackles and yards per catch allowed. More than that, his versatility has allowed Jaquan Brisker to move around more.
With Jackson, Brisker was in the box 69.8% of the time as a rookie and then 65% of the time last season. This year, Brisker is only in the box 48% of the time, as they mix it up, and play more two-deep. This addition has caused two positions to be better and has given the play-calling more versatility. That is a great impact.