What will Bears get from DT Zacch Pickens in 2024?

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles is going to give sophomore defensive tackle Zacch Pickens every opportunity to establish himself as an every-down defender this season. The Bears were dealt a blow when Justin Jones, who led all in-house defensive tackles in sacks and snaps played last year, left in free agency.

Poles surprisingly didn’t respond to Jones’ departure by signing or drafting a replacement. It signals faith in Pickens and his teammate Gervon Dexter, both of whom were drafted in 2023. Pickens spent his rookie season going through the typical year-one struggles, and he’ll have to be more productive in 2024 if Matt Eberflus’ defense is to reach its full potential.

Pickens flashed some pass-rush potential through limited opportunities as a rookie. Pro Football Focus credited him with recording eight pressures, six hurries, 1.0 sack, and one additional quarterback hit via 148 pass-rushing snaps. PFF assigned Pickens a respectable grade of 62.9 in that department.

Zacch Pickens is a natural 3-Tech and I will not rest until he gets a shot at the position.

Here, the #Bears bump their front in response to motion & kick Pickens into a 3-Tech alignment… then he explodes off the line, draws a hold, & sets up the 2nd INT.

Give him his shot! pic.twitter.com/mPQlEuSE3f

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) November 21, 2023

It was as a run defender that Pickens really struggled, which isn’t surprising given that most rookie defensive tackles struggle to initially acclimate to the size and strength of NFL offensive linemen. Pickens’ run defense grade was a lackluster 44.1. The former South Carolina standout totaled 20 tackles, but he also missed three, resulting in a PFF missed-tackle rate of 14.3.

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All in all, Pickens played just 264 snaps in 2023, which accounted for less than 25% of all Bears defensive plays. The exiting Jones played 739 snaps by comparison, equaling a 69% snap share. That’s a significant workload that requires replacing, and without any major offseason acquisitions at the position, the onus falls on Dexter and Pickens.

Zacch Pickens flashing in the run game? Zacch Pickens flashing in the run game

His length has popped over the last few weeks, and when he’s winning first contact he’s controlling his reps. Keep an eye on him over these next 3 weeks — he’s seeing more snaps for a reason. pic.twitter.com/USw9IoUNPv

— Robert Schmitz (@robertkschmitz) December 20, 2023

The Bears have a talented pass rusher in Montez Sweat (who needs more help in 2024). The linebacker core is spearheaded by Tremaine Edmunds, and the secondary should be tremendous, with Jaylon Johnson, Kevin Byard, Jaquan Brisker, and Tyrique Stevenson forming an elite quartet. There’s less certainty at defensive tackle, where Pickens will hopefully step up to the plate.