The Chicago Bears had no idea how bad things would get in the secondary this year. From the start of the season, injuries began piling up. Kyler Gordon went down first. Jaylon Johnson and Eddie Jackson soon followed. It is a big reason the team’s pass defense has been so leaky for weeks now. That said, it’s looking fortuitous that GM Ryan Poles invested two draft picks in cornerbacks last April. Second rounder Tyrique Stevenson has shown glimpses of promise. He’s got some fundamental issues to clean up. The bigger surprise is 5th round pick Terell Smith.
He was forced into the lineup against the Kansas City Chiefs last month. Unsurprisingly, his first snaps didn’t go well. He’d had little time to prepare and faced a well-oiled machine led by Patrick Mahomes. However, the rookie has looked different in the two games since. Smith has a case for being the Bears’ most reliable cornerback against Denver and Washington. This was illustrated by how he performed against each team’s best receiver.
- Courtland Sutton – 2 targets, 0 catches, 1 pass breakup
- Terry McLaurin – 2 targets, 2 catches, 13 yards, -1 YAC
Sutton has averaged over 800 yards in three of the past four seasons for Denver despite quarterback inconsistency. McLaurin has cracked 1,000 in each of the past three and made the Pro Bowl in 2022. He torched Stevenson for a 32-yard bomb in that same game. Smith faced the best each team had to offer and didn’t flinch.
Terell Smith looks like a quality find.
It’s easy to forget there was a period in training camp where he was challenging Stevenson for the starting job. Unfortunately, an injury setback robbed him of that momentum. He would have to wait and hope for another opportunity. It didn’t take long in coming. Smith has been one of the Bears’ steadiest players in the secondary since getting on the field. He covers well, tackles well, and forced a big fumble against Washington. Stevenson may want to clean up things because that competition might reignite if he’s not careful.
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One person happy about this is Poles. The Bears GM has caught lots of flak for how the team has performed to start the season. Now, some of his draft picks are starting to perform. Darnell Wright looks like a keeper at right tackle. Gervon Dexter had six pressures on Sam Howell Thursday night. With Terell Smith stepping up, it’s a welcome sign Poles might know what he’s doing with talent evaluation. It will be interesting to see what the Bears do with him once Johnson and Gordon return from injury.
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