Matt Eberflus Reveals Bears Rookie That Already Caught His Attention

Matt Eberflus is happy with how the Chicago Bears’ draft played out. He told former head coach Dave Wannstedt in a 33rd Team interview that the team accomplished several objectives over that three-day event. The most important was adding three “bigs” as he put it. That is to say, three linemen. Darnell Wright joined the offensive line in the 1st round, while defensive tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens arrived in the 2nd and 3rd rounds, respectively. Eberflus felt the team needed a strong presence up front. That goal was achieved.

It will take time to determine what the Bears have in those three. Linemen can’t show much in minicamps and OTAs because practices are held in shorts. Pads don’t go on until training camp. Given the physical nature of line play, evaluation is difficult. That means Eberflus has kept his attention in other areas for the time being. Wannstedt asked him about the decision to trade up for cornerback Tyrique Stevenson in the 2nd round. While Eberflus sounded excited about what the athletic Miami standout will bring, he also made an unprompted comment on another rookie that caught his attention in minicamps.

Matt Eberflus isn’t the first to mention Smith.

Kendall Williamson, the Bears’ 7th round safety, said the 5th round cornerback from Minnesota was making some eye-popping plays in practice. It is pretty clear the guy has plenty of ability. Draft experts felt he went far later than expected. His athleticism always stood out on tape. The knock on him was a tendency to look stiff in coverage during his early years. That seemed to change in 2022, when his fluidity seemed far better. He coupled that with good instincts, ball skills, and a physical edge to his game.

It isn’t a surprise Matt Eberflus and GM Ryan Poles liked what they saw. He exhibits all the traits necessary for this defense and is known for being an obsessive worker. Hearing he has wasted no time pushing for more work is a great sign of what is to come. He isn’t alone. Fellow 5th rounder Noah Sewell had his moments in rookie minicamps as well. If this class can step up right away in 2023, then the Bears are right to feel optimistic about their chances of winning more games.