Gervon Dexter Sr, Zacch Pickens could benefit the most under new defensive coordinator Eric Washington
The Chicago Bears have officially brought on the new members of the coaching staff under head coach Matt Eberflus for the 2024 season. The team's offense will now be run by former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron while the defense will be assisted by new defensive coordinator and former Buffalo Bills defensive line coach […]
The Chicago Bears have officially brought on the new members of the coaching staff under head coach Matt Eberflus for the 2024 season.
The team's offense will now be run by former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron while the defense will be assisted by new defensive coordinator and former Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington.
While Washington will be serving as the team's defensive coordinator, Eberflus is expected to still call the defensive plays from the sideline, a role he successfully managed during the second-half of the 2023 season. Washington will still have a major role and voice on the defensive side of the ball and could be a key piece toward unlocking two key young defenders for the Bears.
Given Washington's exceptional background and developmental resume working with the defensive line in Buffalo and during his time as the defensive coordinator with the Carolina Panthers, interior defensive linemen Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens could see the biggest jump on the roster heading into Year 2.
The Bears drafted Dexter with the 53rd overall pick in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft and then took Pickens with the 64th overall pick in the third round. The two players rotated in a out of the formation throughout the 2023 season but never got be featured in a prominent role on a consistent basis.
Dexter finished the season with only one start in Week 1 but played in all 17 games. Dexter played an average of 40.0 percent of the defensive snaps in 2023 totaling 2.5 sacks 12 QB hits and 20 combined tackles. Pickens did not have a single start but appeared in all 17 games while also playing an average of 40.0 percent of the defensive snaps. He finished his rookie campaign with 0.5 sack and 20 tackles.
During the end of season meeting when Bears general manager Ryan Poles and Eberflus addressed the media, both Dexter and Pickens were mentioned as players who could be relied on even more in 2024.
"Those young guys are going take the next step next year," Poles said. "They're going to put the work in this summer and really come back even better than this year."
Poles especially praised Dexter's development as the season went on after having to adjust to a different technique than what he was used to in college.
"He's a really good story," Poles added. "That's a normal rookie season to me, is a guy who maybe was a little quiet early in the season. He was trying to find his way and kept working. As the season went, along, you saw him get better and start to affect the quarterback more and he started to affect the run more. So, I really like his growth process and really excited for this whole team."
Working with the Bills defensive line, Washington also utilized a rotational element to the interior of his defensive line but still managed to produce productive seasons out of Ed Oliver, Jordan Phillips, DaQuan Jones, Poona Ford and Linval Joseph.
Having Washington on the staff can further expedite the development of both Dexter and Pickens. Dexter's main issue in 2023 was his get off speed at the snap, which is an area multiple players have credited Washington with improving in the past. Bills pending free agent Leonard Floyd described Washington's defensive scheme up-front as "attack minded" and having a strong get off is vital to achieve that.
Washington's defensive philosophy up-front also helps make sure that each player can play to his individual strength and not be forced to conform to a certain technique or tendency when rushing the passer.
"One of the mantras that we have is, 'We Rush,'" Washington said prior to the 2023 season with the Bills. "So, if a person finds himself in a one-on-one situation or passing situation, we expect them to generate pressure and hit and sack the quarterback. We address everybody the same way in that regard. We try and get as much rush as we can out of the individual, which obviously will help the group."
If Washington brings this similar ideology to the Bears in 2024, expect the entire interior defensive rotation to elevate their game. As for the two rookies heading into their second professional season, the sky is the limit in terms of what Washington could unlock out of them.
Bears defensive expectations under Eric Washington
How will the unit look in 2024?
