Bilal Nichols Has Been A One-Man Wrecking Crew In Camp So Far

Akiem Hicks is always the main man people look to first when discussing the Chicago Bears defensive line. Rightfully so. However, this year he'll be without his right-hand man in Eddie Goldman. The big nose tackle chose to opt out of 2020 over COVID-19 concerns. The Bears are forced to find somebody who can replace him. Rather than look outside for a solution, they decided to gamble on an in-house option. That being third-year man Bilal Nichols.

The former 5th round pick had a great rookie season in 2018. Enough to make people think he was ready to break out last year. It didn't happen. Nichols broke his hand in the second game against Denver and was never quite right after that. Now healthy, he arrived at training camp with something to prove. When the coaches came to him with an opportunity to shift to nose tackle in place of Goldman? He didn't hesitate.

Obviously, no one can expect Nichols to be what Goldman was. That said, reports out of camp are the 23-year old is making his presence felt regardless. Enough to where offensive linemen are already tired of him. Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic explained.

"Nichols can’t step in and be the type of run-stopping force Eddie Goldman was, but based on some early impressions of camp, he’s been a force, camping out in the backfield. He had a trio of notable run stops in Thursday’s practice, blowing up Cordarrelle Patterson in the backfield (with help from Roy Robertson-Harris), stopping David Montgomery on a run play, and then notching a tackle for loss near the goal line."

Bilal Nichols would be a major hero if he delivers

The Bears expressed the utmost confidence in their defensive line depth when Goldman stepped away. It felt like nothing more than typical team spin. Everybody knew a move was coming at that point. Now two weeks later and it hasn't happened. They are truly committed to this course of action. Based on how Nichols continues to perform, it's not hard to see why.

If he can deliver a strong performance this season, it will go down as one of the great substitution jobs in Bears history. A guy with no experience at nose tackle fills in for a Pro Bowl-caliber stud and the defense doesn't miss a beat. This is why people always say depth is what truly defines winning teams. This is a huge opportunity for Nichols who could position himself as a centerpiece of the team's future.