6 Bears Already on Thin Ice in Training Camp

2. Zacch Pickens, DL

It's not mandatory for third-round picks to ultimately emerge as starters, but it's definitely something you hope for when you invest that high of a selection in a player. The Chicago Bears are exercising some patience with 2023 third-round defensive lineman Zacch Pickens, an extremely talented athlete who is entering his second year and, as of right now, making absolutely no noise at camp.

Pickens appeared in 17 games as a rookie for the Bears but managed to record just half a sack on 264 defensive snaps played. He finished with 20 total tackles, a forced fumble, three pressures, and a batted pass, but there's more to unearth with this player.

It might be time to dust off those pre-draft reports on a player like Pickens to revive the excitement around him. Here's what NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein said about him in the pre-draft process:

"He plays with harmonious hands and feet to elude blockers or play off them, but he’s likely to get moved around by NFL drive blockers. Pickens has the ability to play both tackle spots in a one-gapping front and has rotational value with the potential to see starter’s reps."

- Lance Zierlein

The Bears need to find ways to get Pickens on the field as part of their rotation this season. he needs to see an increased snap count and get put in positions where he can utilize that explosiveness and burst off the snap.

As of right now, the Bears' rotation on the defensive line isn't going to include a ton of overall snaps for Pickens with guys like Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter, DeMarcus Walker, and others eating up snaps.