8. How much better has DeMarcus Walker been since the Chicago Bears added Montez Sweat?
One of the big ripples from the Montez Sweat trade was the impact on DeMarcus Walker. It was actually a win that Walker was demoted from the starter spot to a reserve role. Now, Walker can fill in when needed and stay fresh to do what he does best. He was signed to play this role, and we now see why.
Week 12 was the second-lowest snap count of his season but the most productive game he played overall. Walker has nine pressures in the last two weeks, and his pass rush win rate is up from 8.7% in the first nine games to 15.8% in the last two games.
On Monday, the Bears used him on the right side to take on left tackles more. Yannick Ngakoue played the lowest snap count of his season. Meanwhile, Walker went from averaging 14.6 snaps against the left tackle per game in the first half of the season to 25 snaps per game in the last two weeks.
Sweat has allowed them to use Walker in a better role, which has allowed them to limit the snaps of Ngakoue, who has struggled. Now we can see if this wakes Ngakoue up.