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Matt Eberflus reveals what he's looking for in Eddie Jackson's replacement at safety

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Kole Noble | Last updated 2/28/24

The Chicago Bears were the talk of the town during the first day of the NFL Combine in Indianapolis but one key piece of information about the Bears' offseason plans could have fallen between the cracks amid all the quarterback discussions.

The Bears recently made a major decision to move on from veteran safety and former Pro Bowler Eddie Jackson this offseason and will be needing to find his replacement over the next few weeks.

While speaking with the media on Tuesday at the Combine, Bears' head coach Matt Eberflus revealed what kind of player he will be searching for to replace his former leader in the secondary.

"You're looking for a guy that pairs well with Jaquan [Brisker]. The guy that we're looking for, has got to have athletic ability," Eberflus said. "He's got to have range, he's got to have great communication skills. He's got to have ball skills, we want all of our guys to have the ability to take the ball away. He has to have that too and then eventually grow into a leader."

The Bears will have multiple opportunities to find the ideal safety that checks all of those boxes in the coming weeks either through free agency or the 2024 NFL Draft. However, the avenue the Bears choose to acquire said replacement will also have an effect on what will be required out of that player in 2024.

"If it's if it's a free agent, he's gonna feel the temperature of the room and dive into the leadership role," Eberflus explained. "If it's a rookie, he's gonna have to develop that with the other guys."

The Bears secondary is set to be a young group comprised of Brisker, Kyler Gordon, second-year Tyrique Stevenson, and 2023 Pro Bowler Jaylon Johnson who by the sounds of it will be expected to be back with the team. Johnson is currently the oldest starting player in the secondary and even he's only 24-years-old.

It's a young core group in the backend that will be without their experienced veteran who served as the primary communicator on the field. The immediate belief is that Brisker will inherit that role next season depending on who the Bears decide to bring in this offseason.

Bears Options to Replace Eddie Jackson

The Bears will be in the safety market at the perfect time with a solid young group of free agents set to hit the market and a really strong draft class to select from.

In free agency, some top names that fit the descriptions shared by the team's head coach on Tuesday include Geno Stone, Budda Baker (who has a club option), Alohi Gilman, and Taylor Rapp just to name a few.

In the incoming draft class, some of the top prospects who should be on the Bears' radar include Miami's Kamren Kinchens, Minnesota's Tyler Nubin, Georgia's Tykee Smith, Utah's Cole Bishop, Air Force's Trey Taylor and Texas Tech's Tyler Owens.

The Bears' defense finished the season tied for the most interceptions in the entire league with 22 in 2023. That clearly will be a major emphasis once again while the team also looks to boast a multifaceted pass rush to help create turnovers. We'll soon see which of these potential safety options will be suiting up for Chicago next season.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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