One thing about Matt Eberflus and his coaching staff is they're not always as predictable as you'd think. His philosophies might sound simplistic, but the man is far more flexible and creative than he gets credit for. Look to the midseason offensive scheme changes around Justin Fields for a reminder of this. The Chicago Bears head coach also had a knack for it during his time in Indianapolis. It appears he's at it again. Rookie defensive tackle Zacch Pickens made that clear on Wednesday after practice.
The 3rd round pick spoke to the media about his expectations for the preseason opener against Tennessee. He's excited to take in the Soldier Field atmosphere for the first time. However, things got interesting when the conversation shifted to his work in training camp. It appears the coaches haven't been working him at the spot experts thought they would.
Coming out of the 2023 draft, most people saw Pickens as a three-technique interior pass rusher. The fact they're working him exclusively at nose tackle suggests two things: he's shown more promise at that spot than expected, or fellow rookie Gervon Dexter is looking far better at three-technique. Based on the constant flow of updates from camp, it sounds like the latter is most likely.
Zacch Pickens can use this development to his advantage.
It was already presumed he had the tools necessary to be a capable interior pass rusher. The problem was he could be a liability in the run game. By having him focus on nose tackle, the Bears are giving him tons of coaching on how to play the run properly. He's even got a great mentor to help him along in veteran Andrew Billings. Meanwhile, they can let Dexter continue to evolve as a fully-equipped menace. He was already a stout run blocker at Florida. People weren't sure if he had the get-off necessary to rush the passer.
It appears they might've been wrong. Eberflus and the coaches have worked tirelessly to change his stance at the line of scrimmage and elongate his stride to improve his closing speed to the quarterback. While the get-off remains inconsistent, there has been improvement. Zacch Pickens hasn't made as many rapid advances, but he's looked solid throughout camp. Expectations for him remain high. If both can take advantage of their considerable potential, the Bears defensive line will be a problem.
