The Chicago Bears will report to training camp on July 25 and begin what’s expected to be a Super Bowl run in 2019. A big part of that championship push will be the Bears’ defense, which faces some uncertainty after defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s departure.
Still, it’s the players who ultimately determine the success or failure of any aspect of football, and Chicago will field one of the most talented defensive starting lineups in the entire NFL.
According to Pro Football Focus, it’s the most talented run defending group in the league.
1. CHICAGO BEARS
Chicago’s defensive line features multiple elite run-stuffing talents. None was more formidable last season though than Akiem Hicks. The former Saint is proving himself one of the best free agent additions in recent memory. His 13.3 run-stop percentage was the second-highest figure of any interior defender in the NFL last season
Eddie Goldman deserves a lot of credit for the success of the defensive line, too. One of the more unheralded defenders in the game, Goldman holds his ground and clogs running lanes as well as any nose tackle in the NFL.
The Bears’ duo of inside linebackers has a lot to do with the defense’s success against the run, too. Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith, even if they aren’t perfect finishers, are consistently in position to make a play and force ball carriers into troublesome situations.
If Chicago’s run defense continues to play at a high level and Leonard Floyd can bring a complementary pass rush to Khalil Mack‘s elite pressure game, then there should be little drop off from the Fangio-led group to what Chuck Pagano will field in 2019.
