LAKE FOREST – Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles bet big on Kyler Gordon and Jaquan Brisker. The quickest way to derail a rebuild is to whiff on top 100 picks, so the Bears need both rookies to be good and be good fast.
Brisker and Gordon have been Bears for one month, but they already are showing why the new regime tabbed them as poster boys for what they want to define the "new Bears."
"Turnovers," linebacker Nicholas Morrow said Tuesday about his first impressions of the rookies. "Shoot, Kyler's first day on the job, he had two picks, and Brisker punched the ball out as well, and he punched the ball out again yesterday. They do a good job of finding the football, punching it out, getting it out. They're on the game plan. They're in the right spots.
"And they'll just get better, man. It's early. Still got to get some technique and all that stuff, and that'll come. It's just part of being a rookie and learning the system. But early on, they are getting the ball out, so that's always a plus."
Both Gordon and Brisker excel due to unique abilities.
Eberflus and Poles targeted Gordon because of his "movement skills," athleticism, and coverage ability.
Cornerbacks coach James Rowe sees some of Indianapolis Colts corner Kenny Moore in Gordon but admits he has never coached anyone with the short-area quickness of the Bears rookie.
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That quick-twitch movement is only part of what makes Gordon special as a turnover creator.
"Sometimes guys just have a natural ability with that," Rowe said of Gordon. "I thought Kenny Moore was a guy that had a natural ability with that. Obviously, he has good ball skills, and he finds himself in good position enough to be able to look back and locate the quarterback and locate the ball to be able to put himself in those positions and make those plays."
As for Brisker, his gift is one that should endear him to Bears fans quickly – the Peanut punch.
"Maybe his punch is a little bit heavier than most cause we ask everybody to punch the ball on every play," Rowe said. "I probably would hate to get in a fight with him. No, he just has a knack for it right now, and it's something we all teach, obviously, the Peanut Punch. So, he just got a specialty."
The Bears are throwing a lot at Brisker in OTAs. The Penn State product's job right now is to absorb the information and put it into action. The hope is that Brisker's desire to play in the box will take some of the in-line pressure off safety Eddie Jackson and allow the veteran to do what he does best.
Chicago's defense struggled to force turnovers last season, finishing tied for the fourth-fewest takeaways in the league with 16.
Eberflus plans to change that this season, with Gordon and Brisker playing a vital role in a rebuilt Bears' secondary alongside Jackson and Jaylon Johnson.
It seems like that might just be what the two rookies were born to do.