Chicago Bears officially give up on 2023 3rd round pick

The Chicago Bears needed to release Zacch Pickens

Chicago tried to fortify the interior defensive line in the trenches on Day 2 of the 2023 draft. The Bears used a second-round pick on Gervon Dexter and took Pickens out of South Carolina in the third round. Pickens was brought in to be a run defender, but the six-foot-four, 303-pound athlete didn’t make his way on the field much in his first two seasons.

Pickens appeared in 26 games and started three for the Bears last season. He recorded 39 tackles, two tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, and one forced fumble during that span. Pickens earned a 45.5 grade from Pro Football Focus for 2024, ranking him 175th out of 220 defensive tackles in the league.

The Bears added veteran defensive tackle Grady Jarrett in free agency this March and drafted Shemar Turner in the second round. Pickens’ release should allow Chicago to keep veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings, who head coach Ben Johnson praised for being an obstacle to his offense with the Detroit Lions.

The third round has been a spot for players drafted by general manager Ryan Poles. Chicago had to release 2022 third-round pick Velus Jones Jr. in 2024 amid constant drops and muffs. Pickens is gone. 2024 third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie is trending towards being released at some point in the next year.