A defensive core that was previously reeling | Forum

In an overall dominant defensive beatdown Youth Sherrick McManis Jerseys , the Bears had their fair share of standout performers on Sunday against the Bills.  without a healthy Khalil Mack only a few weeks ago, seemed quite eager to prove they were more than the face of their unit. The man who most stood out was veteran cornerback Kyle Fuller, who with his fourth interception on the 2018 season, is now tied for the NFL lead in interceptions. A man who previously struggled with interceptions over the duration of his career, is playing impeccable coverage and being summarily rewarded for it.That pick number doesn’t tell the full story of a defensive back that’s blazing hot at the moment, though. Fuller allowed a mere one catch on eight targets in Buffalo, according to Pro Football Focus. Zay Jones, Kelvin Benjamin, Jason Croom. It didn’t matter who lined up across from him. Buffalo’s putrid passing offense wasn’t up to snuff against arguably pro football’s hottest cornerback. Elsewhere defensively, Roquan Smith did manage to rack up 12 tackles and receive a Rookie of the Week nomination for it. He, however, allowed 11 catches on 11 targets for 100 yards in pass coverage. A gaudy statistic that would point to a bad game for the rookie linebacker without any other context, when it was actually closer to a poor start and strong finish. On offense, Mitchell Trubisky, he who has struggled against blitzes and pressure often this year, was actually worse off with a clean pocket at New Era Field. The Bears quarterback had a passer rating of 131.2 when under pressure on Sunday, the highest of any other passer that played this past weekend. That may come with a grain of salt given how little of the game mattered for this Bears offense in a defensive blowout. But it’s undoubtedly a step in the right direction for Trubisky in his overall development. Finally, in the most bruising of news, Jordan Howard was contacted within one yard of the line of scrimmage on 10 of his 14 carries in Buffalo. He still managed to pick up 41 of his 47 yards after contact. A lesson to defenders everywhere: you’re going to need to bring the house to bring down Howard with one man. Robert is the Editor-in-chief of The Blitz Network (subscribe here!), the managing editor of Windy City Gridiron, and writes for a host of other fine publications. You can follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.*All numbers are courtesy of Pro Football Focus With the draft having officially wrapped up, let’s take a look at how each of the Bears’ divisional rivals did." />Skip to main contentclockmenumore-arrownoyesHorizontal - WhiteWindy City GridironWindy City Gridiron - Being who you thought we were since 2005!Log In or Sign UpLog InSign UpFanpostsFanshotsSectionsBearsOddsAboutMastheadCommunity GuidelinesStubHubMoreAll 322 blogs on Horizontal - WhiteFanposts Fanshots Sections Latest NewsThe Bears DenNotesXs and OsSuperfansFiled under:NFL DraftKnow your enemy: Recapping draft picks from Bears’ NFC North rivalsNew,25commentsWith the draft having officially wrapped up Sherrick McManis Jerseys Stitched , let’s take a look at how each of the Bears’ divisional rivals did.CDTShareTweetShareShareKnow your enemy: Recapping draft picks from Bears’ NFC North rivalsNew Lions tight end T.J. Hockenson was the first player selected by an NFC North team in this year’s draft.Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty ImagesWith the Bears having won the NFC North last season, this year’s NFL Draft served as a chance for their divisional rivals to potentially unseat them from the throne.Chicago didn’t have any picks in the first two rounds, which gave their foes the chance to try to close the gap in the division by adding young, high-ceiling talent. While some picks were more confusing than others, all three teams found a couple of players who could be immediate contributors. To get to know some of the players the Bears will play twice a year for the foreseeable future, let’s break down what all of the other NFC North teams did in the draft this year.Detroit LionsRound 1: T.J. Hockenson, TE, IowaRound 2: Jahlani Tavai, LB, HawaiiRound 3: Will Harris, S, Boston CollegeRound 4: Austin Bryant, EDGE, ClemsonRound 5: Amani Oruwariye, CB, Penn StateRound 6: Travis Fulgham, WR, Old DominionRound 6: Tyron Johnson, RB, Oklahoma StateRound 7: Isaac Nauta, TE, GeorgiaRound 7: P.J. Johnson, DT Youth Mitchell Trubisky Jerseys , ArizonaThe Lions had a handful of Day 3 steals, but I’m ultimately not very impressed with their haul in the first three rounds of the draft. Hockenson has potential to be a top-five tight end in the NFL, but I question how much he’ll be utilized in Detroit’s offense. Tavai is a two-down thumper who can tackle reliably, but he doesn’t offer too much in the way of athleticism or coverage reliability. Harris is a lengthy and athletic safety with some room to grow into a starter, so even though he’s much more reactive than instinctive as this point, I can understand why the Lions liked him. I really like the Oruwariye selection for them, though, as I feel he can be a starting press cornerback at the professional level.Green Bay PackersRound 1: Rashan Gary, DE/EDGE, MichiganRound 1: Darnell Savage, S, MarylandRound 2: Elgton Jenkins, C, Mississippi StateRound 3: Jace Sternberger, TE, Texas A&MRound 5: Kingsley Keke, DT, Texas A&MRound 6: Ka’Dar Hollman, CB, ToledoRound 6: Dexter Williams, RB, Notre DameRound 7: Ty Summers, LB Mitchell Trubisky Jerseys Stitched , TCUWhen it comes to hauls in the first two days of the draft, the Packers may have had the best in the division. Granted, having two first-round picks does help them out a bit, but they added a lot of good players early on. Gary is an athletic freak who, though raw, offers Pro Bowl upside. Joining the likes of Mike Daniels, Kenny Clark, Za’Darius Smith and Preston Smith in the front-seven, Green Bay’s pass rush is looking very intimidating. The rangy and athletic Savage is a very good complement to Adrian Amos, who will benefit yet again from having a safety with that skill set next to him. Jenkins fits a need and is a reliable force in both pass protection and run blocking, and Sternberger was also a great pick, as he can develop into a deadly U tight end at the next level. I’m not too keen on their Day 3 picks, though Williams should be able to carve out a role for himself as a solid short-yardage back.Minnesota VikingsRound 1: Garrett Bradbury, C, North Carolina StateRound 2: Irv Smith Jr., TE, AlabamaRound 3: Alexander Mattison, RB, Boise StateRound 4: Dru Samia, OG, OklahomaRound 5: Cameron Smith, LB, USCRound 6: Armon Watts Youth Josh Bellamy Jerseys , DT, ArkansasRound 6: Marcus Epps, S, WyomingRound 6: Oli Udoh, OT, ElonRound 7: Kris Boyd, CB, TexasRound 7: Dillon Mitchell, WR, OregonRound 7: Olabisi Johnson, WR, Colorado StateRound 7: Austin Cutting, LS, Air ForceMinnesota had a boatload of picks to work with, and they did a good job of adding quality talent. Bradbury has all of the tools of a Pro Bowl center, and with some bulking up, I don’t know if there will be a glaring weakness in his game. The middle of the second round is a fit for Smith than the late first, so the value here in a well-rounded pass catcher was good here. The third round was way too high for Mattison, who doesn’t appear to have the speed or the contact balance to be a back who consistently gets touches. The Vikings had a whopping nine picks on Day 3, and they managed to find a lot of great value. Samia and Smith have the potential to step in as starters, while the likes of Watts, Udoh and Mitchell are intriguing late-round picks who could be solid depth.