ESPN's Matt Bowen calls Bears' Tyrique Stevenson a 'perfect fit'
ESPN analyst calls Tyrique Stevenson a 'perfect fit' originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
Most are chalking up the Bears' NFL draft performance as a success.
They notched plenty of starters in the draft. Most notably, the Bears found a potential cornerstone at right tackle, drafting Darnell Wright from Tennessee to be the team's starter at right tackle. But the have more players capable of stepping into a starting role from this year's draft.
Some pundits and analysts are raving about the Bears' post-Day 1 picks, including cornerback Tyrique Stevenson out of Miami. ESPN analyst Matt Bowen dared to call Stevenson a "perfect fit" in a recent column he wrote about each team's best draft fits.
"It's the play demeanor and the coverage fit in Matt Eberflus' defense that have me excited about this match," Bowen wrote. "Stevenson shows the physical coverage skills to match up with boundary X receivers in the Bears' nickel sets, which would allow Kyler Gordon to stay inside at the slot position. Plus, Stevenson can reroute in Cover 2, jamming and sinking. And he will hit in the run game, too. He had 68 tackles and three interceptions over the past two years."
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Stevenson locks in a, hopefully, perennial spot as a starting cornerback in the Bears' defense. Outside of Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon, the latter of whom the Bears drafted in 2022, the Bears didn't have much cornerback depth or starting talent last season.
Stevenson eradicates that fear for the Bears. He should be a bona fide starter for the Bears. He played two years at Georgia before transferring to play the final two seasons of his collegiate career at Miami.
At Miami, he racked up 68 tackles, four tackles for loss, and three interceptions. He was one of the premier defensive backs in this year's draft class. He will fill the needs of an outside corner, as most believe Gordon works better on the inside as a slot.
Bowen loves the pick, expressing hit perfect fit in Eberflus' defense.
"Chicago is building a secondary with urgent and aggressive defensive backs, and Stevenson fits that profile," Bowen wrote.
