Matt Eberflus Reveals Bears Rookie That Has Impressed The Most

The Chicago Bears have liked what they’ve seen from their newest draft class thus far. Darnell Wright continues to showcase rapid mental improvement as the new right tackle. Gervon Dexter is starting to create havoc on the defensive line with newfound pass rush skills. Tyler Scott is taking full advantage of extra reps due to the absence of Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney. Head coach Matt Eberflus has to be happy with the results. However, from the way he speaks, none of them are the rookie that has impressed the most.

That honor belongs to Tyrique Stevenson. Eberflus was asked about the 2nd round pick out of Miami. The head coach was effusive in his praise, offering clear indications the young cornerback is everything the team hoped he’d be and more.

Praising a young player for his physical skills is one thing. Most high draft choices are great athletes. Yet for Eberflus to single out his maturity and mental prowess is something very different. The reports from practices back this up. Stevenson has been on top of almost everything. There aren’t any updates of him getting burned by receivers, which can’t be said for veteran teammates Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon.

Matt Eberflus can sense something with the Bears’ defense.

The energy and intensity are significantly higher than last season already. He can see more speed, aggressiveness, and effort. Stevenson is one of the primary reasons for this. One of the things mentioned in his scouting reports was his hard-nosed approach. He wasn’t afraid to be physical with his playing style. That is what Eberflus and the coaches want from all 11 players. Everybody flies to the football. Everybody hits. This defensive system can be special when that is the case.

Look back at previous versions of it. There was always a cornerback that embodied the philosophy. Ronde Barber in Tampa Bay. Charles Tillman in Chicago. Kenny Moore in Indianapolis. Matt Eberflus seems to think Stevenson can be the latest version of that anchor. It would explain why the Bears traded up for him in the draft, something GM Ryan Poles is not prone to doing. It’s already looking like that was a good decision. One can only hope this momentum carries over into the regular season.