6 Bears Whose Stock Has Fallen Ahead of Training Camp

2. Zacch Pickens, DT

Zacch Pickens had quite the ascension at South Carolina. He went from a potential mid-round pick to a Day 2 prospect after a strong showing at the NFL Combine. He boasts the ideal frame for a pass-rushing 3-tech at 6-foot-4 and 291 pounds and tested high in every athletic drill.

Pickens was selected at No. 64, which was the first pick in Round 3. Chicago had a dire need for help on the interior of their D-line with Pickens being their second selection at defensive tackle. Earlier that night, they took Gervon Dexter, Sr. out of Florida at No. 53 overall.

Neither stood out as a rookie with Pickens recording 20 tackles and a half-sack in 17 games. Dexter also played in all 17 games, finishing with 20 tackles too. However, he had 2.5 sacks, which means his stock is slightly higher than Pickens as they enter their second season.

Dexter is projected to be a starter next to Andrew Billings but Pickens will be leaned on as their primary rotation player off the bench. Expectations were high for him in his first year in the league, but he has some work to do now as he aims to turn around the opinions of those who have soured on him.