Bears coach has very smart plan for recent top draft pick
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon had plenty of ups and downs in his rookie campaign. Entering year two with e better sense of the defensive scheme, Gordon should be poised to take a significant leap forward. Defensive coordinator Alan Williams knows the importance of fielding a strong secondary in today’s pass-happy NFL. As it relates […]
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon had plenty of ups and downs in his rookie campaign. Entering year two with e better sense of the defensive scheme, Gordon should be poised to take a significant leap forward.
Defensive coordinator Alan Williams knows the importance of fielding a strong secondary in today’s pass-happy NFL. As it relates to Gordon, Williams is confident that the 2022 second rounder will be able to use his instinct on a more frequent basis in the upcoming season.
“Last year, everything was just in a frenzy, because he wants to please, he wants to do, he wants to be so good,” Williams said of Gordon. “Now, he's relaxing, he's playing within himself. He's got his feet up underneath him. He's communicating more than he did. He already communicated before, but now it's more.”
With Jaylon Johnson and rookie Tyrique Stevenson likely occupying the starting spots out wide, Gordon is likely to take on a significant role in the slot.
“I would say right now he's in at the nickel and we're doing a lot of that, but we've moved him all around still with the idea that he's going to play nickel,” Williams continued. “But you can never have enough corners in the NFL so we're not going to just limit him to that. We're going to put him outside a little bit to keep his feet wet there, and so that if he's needs to go outside it's not like ‘Gosh, I hadn't had any reps for an extended period of time.’ So nickel and then if need be he'll go outside and function well.”
It’s important to note that just because Gordon is likely to open the season at the nickel position, doesn’t ensure that he will be cemented there for the entirety of the regular season. The Bears will use the strengths of each cornerback to mix and match in order to create favorable matchups against the pass.
Gordon must show improvement in the slot, which is an area he struggled in last season in order for the Bears defense to fully turn the corner. With a vastly improved front seven, the hope is that the players up front can take some pressure off of the backend of the defense in 2023.
Featured image via Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
