While the Chicago Bears are beginning preparations for the 2024 NFL Draft class, this time of the year is the perfect opportunity to take a step back and assess how the 2023 season went for some of the Bears young players.
Before we dive more into the Bears upcoming 2024 class, I have been going back and evaluating how the 2023 class performed during their rookie season. So far, I have covered Darnell Wright, Gervon Dexter, and Tyrique Stevenson. Today, I will be breaking down the Chicago debut of defensive tackle Zacch Pickens.
The Bears drafted Pickens with the first pick in the third round at the 64th overall selection in the draft after already selecting Dexter in the second round at the same position. The Pickens pick marked the third straight defensive player selected by general manager Ryan Poles in the draft class.
Zacch Pickens 2023 Season Overview
Much like Dexter, Pickens was mainly utilized as a rotational piece on the interior of the defensive line for the majority of his rookie campaign. Pickens split snaps on the interior with Dexter, Andrew Billings, and Justin Jones. Heading into 2024, Pickens and Dexter each showed they are ready for a more sizable role going into Year 2.
Pickens played in all 17 games for the Bears during his rookie season as a reserve. Schematically, Pickens was a much stronger fit in head coach Matt Eberflus' defense but the production was definitely lacking on the stat sheet. Perhaps with new defensive coordinator in Eric Washington bringing more stability for the entire unit, Pickens' production can reach a higher level in 2024.
2023 Snap Counts and Stats
Overall, Pickens finished the season playing an average of 24.5 percent of the total defensive snaps. Like Dexter, Pickens' snap count saw a gradual rise that became more consistent during the end of the season. Pickens played 31, 25, and 30 percent of the defensive snaps during the final three games of the season.
Statistically, Pickens finished the season with 0.5 sack, two QB hits, 20 combined tackles, one forced fumble, and one pass deflection. According to Pro Football Focus, Pickens was also credited with nine stops and six hurries. Pickens was given a 54.9 defensive grade, a 44.1 run defense grade, a 62.9 pass rush grade, and a 74.7 coverage grade, per PFF. Pickens' coverage grade finished as the second-highest among rookie interior defensive linemen.
Pickens' highest graded game came in Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers where he had an 80.9 defensive grade and a 72.5 pass rush grade. His defensive grade was the third-highest on the Bears entire defense that week. He was officially credited with one pressure and one stop in the win.
Pickens' lowest graded game came in the Week 3 loss against the eventual Super Bowl Champions Kansas City Chiefs. Pickens had a 37.7 defensive grade but still managed to have a 68.4 tackle grade. In the game, he had one tackle and one missed tackle.
Notable Plays
Pickens' first sack came in Week 4 against the Denver Broncos that forced a three-and-out on the Broncos' first offensive drive of the game.
In Week 8 against the Los Angeles Chargers, Pickens' first career forced fumble against running back Austin Ekeler set the offense up in great field position late in the fourth quarter, even though the game was well out of reach.
Pickens' best use of his skillset came in collapsing the running lanes and this particular play in Week 15 against the Cleveland Browns is a great example of that.
Final Verdict and Future Projection
Grade: C+
Pickens' grade from the midseason mark gets a little boost after playing more of a consistent role down the stretch with higher snap counts. However, I would have liked to see more from Pickens as a pass rusher but his impact in the run game still made a considerable difference in helping the team allow the fewest rushing yards in the NFL.
As for his future projection, I have a strong belief that both Pickens and Dexter will reach a different level in Year 2 under their new defensive coordinator. With Washington's background being on the defensive line, he will get these two young defenders more ready to produce heading into the 2024 season. Both players showed some promise, now they need to prove it can be sustained.
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