An opportunity to help replace a three-time Pro Bowler has breathed new life into the career of a former Chicago Bears third-round NFL draft bust.
According to the NFL’s official transaction wire, the New York Giants claimed former Bears defensive tackle Zacch Pickens off waivers on May 5 from the Kansas City Chiefs, who had placed Pickens on waivers one day earlier following their rookie minicamp.
Pickens, the No. 64 overall pick in the 2023 draft, spent his first two seasons playing a deep rotational role for the Bears defense before missing the 53-man roster ahead of his third season in the league in 2025 with two years left on his $5.7 million rookie deal.
He then landed with the Chiefs’ practice squad after the roster cutdown and spent the 2025 season with them, earning a promotion to the 53-man roster late in the campaign. He played 59 snaps, none on special teams, over their final three games of the season.
Pickens will now join veterans Shelby Harris and D.J. Reader — who both agreed to sign with the Giants earlier this week — in helping New York’s defense replace three-time Pro Bowl starter Dexter Lawrence. The Giants traded him to the Cincinnati Bengals for the No. 10 overall pick last month, amid the 28-year-old’s standing trade request.
Zacch Pickens Flunked Out With Bears in 2 Seasons
The Bears gave Pickens plenty of opportunities to carve out a role for himself over his first two seasons in the NFL before he crossed over into clear draft-bust territory.
As a rookie, Pickens played 264 defensive snaps over 17 games, recording 20 tackles, a half-sack, one tackle for loss, two quarterback hits and a forced fumble as the No. 4 man in the interior rotation behind Justin Jones, Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter Sr.
When Jones departed during the 2024 offseason, though, Pickens failed to seize his opportunity to move up the depth chart — as Dexter did — and instead fell even further behind his cohorts due to injury and performance issues. By the end of the year, Byron Cowart (335 snaps) and Chris Williams (367 snaps) had outsnapped him (228 snaps).
Pickens’ roster standing became even more tenuous during the 2025 offseason. The Bears not only cleaned house with their defensive staff and brought in a new architect in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, but they also used a second-round pick (No. 62) on Texas A&M standout Shemar Turner and signed former Pro Bowler Grady Jarrett.
Pickens got a fair shake when camp rolled around, playing in all three preseason games. Ultimately, though, the Bears opted for their top three returning contributors (Dexter, Billings and Williams) and two new additions (Jarrett and Turner) to round out their defensive tackle rotation and placed Pickens on waivers during their roster cutdown.
Will Bears’ Defensive Interior Make Strides in 2026?
Pickens, who is now on his third NFL team, is a thing of the past for the Bears defense, but there are still questions about how their defensive interior will hold up in 2026.
While many fans and analysts presumed that the Bears would prioritize defensive tackle improvements during the 2026 offseason, their additions weren’t exactly splashy. They signed veterans Neville Gallimore and Kentavius Street to replace the value lost in their free-agent departures (Billings and Williams) and waited until Day 3 of the draft to add Georgia Tech’s Jordan van den Berg in the sixth round (via a trade-up from Round 7).
At the top of the depth chart, though, the Bears’ top personnel remain largely the same.
Dexter — a 2023 second-round pick — will return as their primary nose tackle and look to establish himself as an extension-worthy talent before his rookie contract runs up at the end of the 2026 season. Meanwhile, Jarrett will enter 2026 trying to justify the high cost of his three-year, $42.75 million contract in more ways than just his leadership.
The Bears are hoping that a second consecutive season in Allen’s defensive system will help their returning defensive linemen achieve greater production, but it is a gamble, to be clear, that could backfire on Chicago if their tackles and edge rushers don’t improve.
Bears’ Former $5.7 Million Bust Signed to Help Replace Pro Bowler