6 Bears Defenders on Thin Ice After Eric Washington Hiring

3. Kyler Gordon, Cornerback

Chicago has spent a lot of draft capital on their secondary and so far, the results haven't been what they expected. This past season, they were 25th in the NFL in yards surrendered and 29th in touchdowns given up. They were tied for the most picks with 22 which helped keep the scoring down slightly but there was a lot to be desired from the entire secondary.

Jaylon Johnson was the lone exception as he earned the top grade in the league from PFF with a 90.8. The only issue is that their star cornerback is set for free agency. They would like to keep him around but it won't be easy to do. Not only can he command a lot of money but there will be no shortage of suitors should he hit the open market.

Whether or not they retain Johnson, the rest of the cornerbacks will be asked to pick up their game under a new coordinator. Tyrique Stevenson struggled in coverage as a rookie so the second-round pick will be watched closely by Washington. However, he won't be on as thin of ice as Kyler Gordon who enters year three.

Another second-round pick, Gordon has been primarily a slot cornerback and has made some impressive plays. He has 132 tackles, 12 pass defenses, and five picks. But he's also given up a lot of completions with opposing quarterbacks going 110-of-143 against him for a completion percentage of 76.9.

To be fair, covering the slot is difficult and it takes a certain skill set to pull it off. Gordon was drafted with the intention of being able to handle the job and he needs to take a step forward in 2024 in order for this defense to get where they want to be.