Bears 'proud but not surprised' with rookie successes in secondary

With four regular starters in the secondary sitting out Sunday against the Green Bay Packers, Bears fans could be forgiven for not knowing who exactly the starting defensive backs were.

There was regular starter Jaylon Johnson at cornerback, of course, and longtime special teams player DeAndre Houston-Carson starting at safety.

But safety Elijah Hicks, cornerback Jaylon Jones and cornerback Josh Blackwell?

That trio of rookies made their names known Sunday, performing well above anyone's expectations for a young secondary playing against four-time MVP Aaron Rodgers.

All game long, it felt as if Rodgers was roaming around the pocket looking for somewhere to throw the ball. He often had nowhere to go. Rodgers threw for 182 yards and one touchdown.

"They played damn good if you ask me," said Johnson, a third-year pro. "I feel like it's just one of those things where, when you believe in somebody, when you have confidence in somebody, it goes a long way. I feel like even for them to believe in themselves stood to who they are and who they can be in this league."

Only one of the three rookies was drafted by the Bears. They selected Hicks, who played college ball at California, in the seventh round with the 254th overall pick. He got so hyped up after being selected that he started doing pushups during his welcome video.

Since then, Bears fans have heard very little from him. He was working behind the scenes, waiting for an opportunity and contributing on special teams. With starting safeties Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker both out with injuries last week, Hicks earned his first career start.

"It's one of those things, especially as a professional athlete, your job is to improve and be the best football player you could possibly be," Hicks said. "So whether you're playing or not, you've still got to learn and still got to be ready because this game has a 99% injury rate."

Hicks had four tackles in Sunday's game. He said he doesn't get as hyped prior to a game as he did following the draft. When he knows he's starting on defense, he likes to stay locked in and make sure he knows his responsibilities.

Jones and Blackwell, meanwhile, both went undrafted last spring. The Bears signed Jones out of Ole Miss following the draft. They claimed Blackwell, who went to Duke, off waivers after he failed to make the Philadelphia Eagles' 53-man roster in August.

Jones started Sunday as the boundary corner opposite Johnson. Blackwell served as the nickel corner when the team used five defensive backs. For Jones, Sunday marked his second start after previously starting a game at Minnesota when Johnson was out. Jones has appeared in all 13 games, playing significant reps on special teams when he isn't on defense.

"I'm proud but not surprised," Jones said of the rookies contributing. "I feel like, with the whole team, with this DB group. we've got a lot of guys that truly love this game and have always wanted this opportunity. I feel like the standard's always been high."

The young DBs on the roster have learned a lot from veterans like Jackson, Johnson and Houston-Carson. That veteran leadership allowed three young rookies to step in without much trouble.

They aren't, however, likely to remain in the starting lineup for long. Brisker and cornerbacks Kyler Gordon and Kindle Vildor should be back and healthy following the bye week. But the Bears can feel good about the depth they've built at defensive back, and know that they have some well-prepared rookies ready to step in when called upon.

"We've got good guys who are football heads and who are going to work to death," Hicks said.