Pro Football Focus may be one of the most divisive football stat sites out there, but there’s no question they have a valid place in the modern NFL. A lot of what they do is interesting and informative, which is why people always pay attention. That includes Chicago Bears fans. One thing is for sure. People will love the 2018 version of the site’s Top 101 NFL players.
The site has yet to conclude their rankings with the top 10 still to come on Friday, February 8th. One thing is for certain though. The Bears are among the most well-represented team on the entire lineup. Thus far there have been five names appearing at various spots including Prince Amukamara (100), Eddie Goldman (88), Bryce Callahan (81), and Kyle Fuller (66).
After them, there’s a long lull but soon Chicago re-emerges with a bang. Eddie Jackson claimed the 14th slot for his breakout season and Akiem Hicks rounded out the latest list at the 11th spot. Jackson especially earned high praise.
“Simply put, Jackson’s body of work across his 589 coverage snaps this year has been some of the best that we’ve ever seen from a safety. In his 14 regular-season games, Jackson’s performance in coverage earned a coverage grade of 94.7 which not only led all defensive players in the NFL this year, but it’s tied for the best mark ever recorded by a safety in the PFF era (2006-present).”
Chicago Bears fans can guess who is still to come
It’s nice to see the team far more well-represented in this top 100 rankings rather than the NFL’s version. Six names are listed already and everyone who is even a modest Bears fan can take a guess at who will likely crack the top 10. It’s merely a matter of discussing where Khalil Mack belongs. His profound impact on the team from the moment he arrived warrants clear discussion for being a top five choice easy.
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Having seven Bears in these rankings is something unseen in a long time. Maybe a decade. The crazy thing is? They’re all defensive players. Not a single offensive name to be found. Given how things are progressing though, that is fixing to change within the next year or so with Mitch Trubisky, Allen Robinson, and Tarik Cohen all ascending in their young careers. If nothing else it’s proof that this team is headed in the right direction.
