Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon practices May 23, 2023, during organized team activities at Halas Hall. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune)
When Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon wrapped up a hectic rookie season, one of the first things he did was sort through his game film two or three times.
He examined the good plays and bad ones and figured out what he needed to work on as he entered his second offseason program. The time to reflect was valuable.
From the moment the Bears drafted him in the second round last spring, Gordon had a lot on his plate. He learned outside cornerback and nickel in the Bears defense and started 14 games, totaling three interceptions and six passes defended.
Now, with a year of experience and the enhanced study, he feels like he has a better understanding of what’s going on and where he fits.
“I definitely feel way more comfortable in the situations I get put in,” Gordon said Wednesday during the second week of organized team activities at Halas Hall. “I feel like I can be in the same spot I was in last year and have more knowledge in that area and not make the same mistake and set myself up for success.”
The Bears plan to have Gordon focus on playing nickel this season while getting enough reps outside so he’s ready if needed, defensive coordinator Alan Williams said.
The Bears drafted Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson with the No. 56 pick and are having him focus on playing outside as he settles in with his new team, presumably competing for a spot opposite Jaylon Johnson. The Bears also added fifth-round pick Terell Smith to a group that includes Kindle Vildor, Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell.
Gordon said he misses playing outside more but also sees how focusing on nickel can help him.
“I love corner,” he said. “But, yeah, it definitely is nice to focus on nickel and take in as much as I can there and perfect that spot.”
In Gordon’s film study of a sometimes uneven rookie year, he saw communication errors, especially early in the season, that he could correct. And he identified a foundation for playing faster.
“It started becoming easier when I read my keys right and saw the things I was supposed to see,” he said. “Brought my vision in and focused on what I was supposed to see and not trying to see everything.
“Once I did that and I was able to really read what I was supposed to read and not be worried about all this other stuff … I just felt like I got to play faster.”
Williams said the biggest difference he sees in Gordon this year is he’s more relaxed, a product of the year of experience.
Gordon said he felt calmer as the season wore on and he “would just see what I needed to see and not try to make every play and be everywhere.” Now he thinks he can channel his energy to the right objectives, and Williams thinks it shows.
“Last year everything was just in a frenzy because he wants to please, he wants to be so good, so it’s just, ‘Ah, ah, ah,’ all the time,” Williams said. “And now he’s OK. He’s relaxing. He’s playing within himself. He’s got his feet up underneath him. He’s communicating more than he did.
“We call it the RPMs. His RPMs are not always in the red all the time. So then, if they’re not in the red all the time, he is mentally alert but is physically relaxed in how he’s playing. That doesn’t mean that he’s not going fast and he’s not hustling and running to the ball. It just means that his RPMs aren’t super high.”
Coach Matt Eberflus also sees an increased confidence in Gordon but said consistency is the next step. The Bears have a new cornerbacks coach in Jon Hoke to help him achieve that.
Hoke became familiar with Gordon through the draft process last year when Hoke was with the Atlanta Falcons and Gordon was coming out of Washington. Hoke called Gordon versatile, athletic, physical and instinctive with “a lot of upside” and also noted the skills that make him particularly effective at nickel.
“He’s a good blitzer because he’s physical, understands the timing, understands how to beat a block,” Hoke said. “In zone coverage, he understands how to route-match based on what he’s got. He understands the concepts that he’s being attacked with. Those things are all pluses with him.”
As Gordon grows even more comfortable with what he’s being asked to do after his busy rookie year, he’s excited to add more pluses to his evaluation.
“That year is over and I learned what I needed to learn from it,” he said. “It’s just going to get better and better.”
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Originally published at Tribune News Service