Vegas predicts the Chicago Bears will make the NFL’s biggest jump in wins this year, and a huge element of that projection is a budding star with Pro-Bowl potential.
ESPN’s Bill Barnwell projected on Tuesday, August 8, that Jaquan Brisker will follow in the footsteps of fellow Bears safety Eddie Jackson and earn Pro-Bowl honors during his second professional season in 2023.
The rookie second-rounder did a little bit of everything in his 15 starts, as he intercepted a pass, produced a team-high four sacks, racked up five tackles for loss and knocked away a couple of throws. Playing down toward the line of scrimmage most often, he also missed only 6.3% of his tackles all season, according to Pro Football Reference.
Some of Brisker’s misses were conspicuous — and injuries slowed him as the season wore on — but there’s an undeniably exciting skill set here. The hope is that he ends up looking something like Chicago’s version of Jamal Adams as a player who can use his instincts, timing and toughness to make game-changing plays. Brisker can be a cornerstone piece for Chicago as early as this season if he stays healthy.
Jaquan Brisker Expected to Be Among Leaders of Revamped Bears Defense This Season
GettySafety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears celebrates after breaking up a pass during an NFL game against the Philadelphia Eagles in December 2022.
Matt Verderame of Sports Illustrated attended a Bears training camp session on August 4 and the No. 1 observation he took away with him is that Brisker figures to be a problem for all comers this season.
“Brisker flying around — he was a menace throughout practice, coming up in run support while also taking away any route in his general vicinity,” Verderame wrote.
Chicago struggled on defense all last year tallying just 20 sacks as a unit, which put undue pressure on the defensive backfield to cover pass catchers for a longer duration play-to-play than most secondaries in the NFL.
Despite that, Chicago wasn’t abysmal in pass coverage. The team allowed the 18th-most passing yards gained (3,716 yards) and finished in a five-way tie for 12th in total interceptions (14), per NFL.com. Those numbers should both improve in 2023 after the Bears added pass rushers Yannick Ngakoue and DeMarcus Walker as starters at defensive end, who combined for 44 QB pressures and 16.5 sacks last season.
Chicago also drafted defensive backs Tyrique Stevenson (No. 56 overall) in the second round and Terell Smith (No. 165 overall) in the fifth round to add depth to the secondary. Chicago slotted both players as second-string cornerbacks on the team’s first unofficial depth chart of the preseason.
Bears Defense to Embark on New Era in NFC North Division, Host Packers in Season Opener
GettySafety Jaquan Brisker of the Chicago Bears.
Fans will get their first chance to see Brisker and the rest of the Bears defense in action when the team hosts the Tennessee Titans on Saturday, August 12, for the first preseason game of the summer.
Chicago will also matchup against the Indianapolis Colts on the road (August 19) and the Buffalo Bills at home (August 26) before trimming the team down to the initial 53-man roster.
The Bears defense will look to begin a new chapter in franchise history when the team hosts the NFC North Division rival Green Bay Packers to kick off the regular season on Sunday, September 10. The Packers will be led by new starting quarterback Jordan Love, who has thrown just 83 passes in the NFL as he takes over for four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.
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Bears $7 Million Star Projected to Make Pro-Bowl Leap in 2023