General manager Ryan Poles selected two defensive tackles on the first day of the 2023 NFL Draft to infuse some youth into the Chicago Bears defence line, which is expected to be rebuilt in 2023.
Zacch Pickens was chosen in the third round, 64th overall, following the selection of Gervon Dexter in the second round. Many scouts saw Pickens, a four-year starter at South Carolina with 7.5 sacks during his undergraduate career, as an experienced athlete with some intriguing developmental attributes despite not being the most productive in college. Pickens tested highly athletically, scoring a 9.23 relative athletic score with remarkable speed and good explosiveness despite being somewhat undersized at 6-foot-3, 291 pounds, as has been a theme in several of the Poles’ draft selections. Pickens also had the arm length—34 inches—that Matt Eberflus and Poles want in their defensive linemen.
When the Bears selected Pickens, Poles observed that the player’s athleticism and versatility were key qualities.
Poles stated, “We’re looking for guys who are big, long, can run, and are interchangeable.” “You get kind of chipped up throughout the season, so you want guys that can fit in different spots. Nose, three-technique.”
Pickens had to show off his versatility right away because he had to switch positions in addition to adjusting to the NFL. Pickens was asked to play more of a run-stopping position as a one-technique and nose tackle in the Bears’ scheme after playing more as a penetrating, three-technique in college. Because of this, Pickens’ playing time in 2023 was severely limited as he had to share playing time with fellow rookie Dexter, veteran Andrew Billings, and rookie Justin Jones.
So how did Pickens fare as a rookie in his new position? Here is a peek at Pickens’ rookie report card for the 2023 season to find out.
It’s critical to keep in mind that Pickens’ job on the Bears’ defensive line limited his playing time during his first season, which is something to consider.
Pickens simply did not have as many chances to shine as other rookies on the squad, playing only 264 snaps this season. Pickens didn’t stand out much as a rookie for a few reasons, including the fact that he had to modify his style of play to play more nose tackle and one technique.
throughout spite of these circumstances, Pickens did see some bright moments throughout his rookie campaign. Pickens recorded his first sack of the season in week four against the Denver Broncos, going after Russell Wilson. Pickens experienced his first game with multiple pressures later in the season against the Atlanta Falcons; he finished with two on just ten pass rush snaps. Pickens was sixth among the Bears’ defensive lineman with a pass rush victory percentage of 7.2% for the season.
Pickens’ play generally became better starting in week eight as a result of the coaching staff giving him more opportunities to play his natural three-technique spot. For context, according to Pro Football Focus, in weeks one through seven, Pickens played 38% of his snaps aligned over the “A” gap, which is often the position for run stuffers and nose tackles. Pickens’ snaps lined up in the “A” gamp after week seven dropped to slightly less than 9% of his total snaps. As a result, Pickens began to play some of the greatest football of the season for the Bears, finding opportunities to use his three-technique to break through the defence.
