The Level Of Disrespect Towards Akiem Hicks Just Hit Nuclear

Akiem Hicks is reminding everybody why the Chicago Bears defense missed him so much last season. The defensive end has been wreaking havoc through the first month of the 2020 season. Not only is he suffocating against the run, he's among the league leaders in sacks at 3.5. If the current pace he's on holds? He will be in the running for an All-Pro selection. Yet at least one "respectable" NFL outlet doesn't seem impressed. Pro Football Focus has established a reputation for being data-driven. They claim to grade every single player on every game. If that's true, then they have some explaining to do. In their latest column for ESPN, they delivered a ranking of the 50 best linemen in the league right now. This includes both offensive and defensive. Unsurprisingly, Khalil Mack sits at #4 on the list with Aaron Donald, Fletcher Cox, and Chris Jones placing high as well. So where did Hicks end up? Nowhere. He wasn't even on the list.

"Mack finished the 2019 season with the lowest PFF grade of his career to date -- an 86.2, which ranked 13th at the position. That tells you all you need to know about the edge rusher, who has recorded at least 50 total QB pressures in all seven years of his career and already has 22 pressures and a 90.7 pass-rushing grade through four weeks of the 2020 campaign."

Akiem Hicks deserves so much better than this

Think about this. Pro Football Focus considers guys like Vita Vea, Stephon Tuitt, and Jeffery Simmons better than Hicks. This despite none of them being on his level in terms of production to this point. Never mind his consistently dominant tape. It makes one question who exactly is making these evaluations. Do they even watch Bears games? There isn't even an excuse of Chicago being a bad team. They're 3-1 through the first four games. Their defense ranks in the top 10. By every point of logic, Hicks should be getting way more attention and respect than he has. It's sad to see the national media continue to blatantly miss how good he is.