Chicago Bears: Five bold predictions for the 2017 season

(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
(Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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Akiem Hicks Chicago Bears
Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images /

2. Akiem Hicks dominates, is named first-team All-Pro

Last offseason, the Chicago Bears signed defensive lineman Akiem Hicks to a two-year, $10 million contract. Hicks has always shown some nice upside on the defensive line but he really shined for the Bears last season, fitting in perfectly as a defensive end in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defensive.

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Listed at 6-foot-5, 336 pounds, Hicks is a massive man. He has ridiculous raw strength that allows him to absolutely dominate at the point of attack. While his power is elite, Hick also moves extremely well for a man of his size. He gets off of the snap extremely quickly, showing the ability to knife through the offensive line and make plays in the backfield.

Hicks is an extremely valuable defensive lineman who can create opportunities for his teammates and also make plays on his own.

Last season, Hicks piled up seven sacks for the Bears. While the number itself is not overly impressive, it is when you take into consideration that he is not constantly attacking the quarterback from his position. A lot of times, the Bears will use the 3-4 defensive end position to eat up blockers and create opportunities for their other rushers. Hicks does this as well as anybody.

He is a fantastic interior pass rusher who is also dominant against the run. Hicks proved his upside last season and will likely be motivated as ever to make an impact in 2017, considering he is about to hit the open market again.

I fully expect Hicks to dominate for the Chicago Bears in 2017. I think he will even be good enough for All-Pro consideration. Barring injury, Aaron Donald likely has an interior defensive lineman first-team All-Pro spot locked up for the foreseeable future. However, the other All-Pro spot is wide open. There are many worthy candidates out there, but none of them are significantly better than Hicks.

In his second year in Fangio’s system and free agency ahead of him, expect Hicks to dominate up front for the Bears in 2017. If that happens, his chances to become a first-team All-Pro selection are strong.