Chicago Bears: Who is the most important player on defense?

With so many to choose from, who is the most important player on the Chicago Bears defense?

The Chicago Bears defense is absolutely loaded with talent. Last year alone they had four players make the Pro-Bowl in Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack, Kyle Fuller, and Eddie Jackson. In addition, all but Hicks were named All-Pros.

That list doesn’t include Roquan Smith who had an incredible rookie campaign, leading the team in tackles with 121 or his running mate Danny Trevathan who was second on the team with 102.

It also doesn’t include Leonard Floyd who had a breakout season, or Eddie Goldman who may be one of the most underrated and under-appreciated players in the entire league.

The point is the Bears are uber-talented on the defensive side of the ball. But who is the most indispensable player on the unit? In other words, which player is so crucial to their success that their absence would adversely impact the team more than any other player?

The most obvious and logical answer would be Mack, as he’s one of the most dominant players in the game, and is a one-man wrecking crew when he’s in there. Last year, I would have said Mack without even blinking, especially when you see how his absence impacted the defense when he was injured.

However, this year the answer may not be so simple. For a couple of reasons, I’d have to give the nod to Eddie Jackson, and here’s why.

First, Jackson will be instrumental in ensuring the defense continues its trend from last year to not allow big plays. In reality, Vic Fangio’s approach was content to allow the team to move the ball at times as long as they didn’t give up the big play. That approach got them in trouble at times, especially the second half in Week 1 against the Green Bay Packers, as well as the games against the New England Patriots and the Miami Dolphins.

That approach will surely change with Chuck Pagano as defensive coordinator. He likes to take a more aggressive approach and will take some chances, which can leave his cornerbacks exposed at times. Having Jackson as a security blanket will certainly allow Pagano to take more chances with his linebackers and corners. It will also enable him to help out corners who might be in trouble.

Speaking of help defense, Jackson will also assist with Ha Ha Clinton-Dix’s transition to the team. Some have suggested that Jackson helped cover up a lot of Adrian Amos’ flaws and deficiencies. Perhaps Jackson can help elevate Clinton-Dix’s game back to Pro-Bowl level.

Finally, the team will need Jackson’s ability to turn the ball over as he’s done in his first two seasons. While it will be very difficult to replicate their turnover output from 2018, Jackson was one of the best at turning the ball over and will need to do so again this year to help shorten the field for the offense.

Losing Mack would be devastating, but there are things Pagano could do to manufacture pressure in his absence. I’m not sure there is anything he could do to replicate what Jackson can do. So while Mack may be the best player on the defense, Jackson may be the most indispensable to the team. Or maybe it is Mack and I’m just out of my mind. Just to be safe, let’s just hope neither of them misses any time so we don’t have to find out.