2022 Bears report card: Safeties: Brisker, Jackson played brilliantly together and position was rare bright spot

Whether or not Matt Eberflus' 4-3 defensive scheme could unlock Bears safety Eddie Jackson was a major topic of discussion a year ago.

After one season with Eberflus and general manager Ryan Poles, the answer is a resounding yes. But what helped even more than a scheme change was the emergence of rookie safety Jaquan Brisker alongside Jackson. The 48th overall draft pick proved to be exactly the running mate Jackson needed.

Brisker and Jackson played brilliantly together. Brisker was the aggressive chess piece who could move all over the field. Jackson played deep much of the time, looking for opportunities to make a play on the ball. The strategy played right into Jackson's strengths.

Here's a look back at what went well and what didn't at the safety position in 2022.

Positives

It's important to remember Jackson's journey. He was an All-Pro in 2018 and a Pro Bowl player in 2018 and 2019, with 10 interceptions during his first three years in the NFL from 2017-19.

Then he went cold.

Jackson didn't have a single interception in 2020 or 2021. He seemingly lost his nose for the football. During the final two years of the Matt Nagy era, Jackson had to be the jack-of-all-trades safety, sometimes playing closer to the line of scrimmage.

Enter Brisker. The rookie proved to be a tremendous blitzer, recording a team-high four sacks. His versatility allowed Jackson to be the roving deep man. It led to four interceptions for Jackson in 12 games. Jackson also had 80 combined tackles, two forced fumbles and six passes defended. Brisker finished with 104 combined tackles, two passes defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.

Rookie seventh-round draft pick Elijah Hicks played well when the Bears needed him at safety. He was also a key contributor on special teams.

Negatives

Jackson suffered a season-ending foot injury in late November. The good news was that it didn't require surgery and Jackson should be back in time for training camp next summer. The defense really struggled once Jackson left. The team lost a team captain and a playmaker on defense.

Brisker also missed two games due to a concussion, but was otherwise healthy. He nearly missed the start of the season due to a thumb injury.

Brisker showed an ability to find the QB when blitzing, but there were some times where he chose the wrong gap, like on Jalen Hurts' first rushing touchdown against the Bears on Dec. 18. Brisker picked the wrong gap and Hurts ran through a huge hole on the other side, untouched on his way to the end zone.

Defining moments

1. After taking cornerback Kyler Gordon with the 39th pick in the draft, there was an expectation that the Bears' next pick, nine slots later, would be some help on offense. Poles surprised everyone by snagging another defensive back in Brisker. Poles was more concerned with finding the best players available, regardless of position. Brisker turned out to be arguably the team's best rookie in 2022.

2. After two years without an interception, Jackson hauled in a key fourth-quarter interception in Week 1 against Trey Lance and the 49ers. At long last, Jackson had the ball in his hands. It was the first of four picks in 2022 for him.

3. Jackson's season ended on Nov. 27 when he crumpled to the field at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey with an apparent noncontact injury. It turned out to be a Lisfranc foot injury, which sidelined him for the final five games of the year. Jackson had been leading NFC free safeties in Pro Bowl voting when his season ended early.

Contract status

Jackson is under contract for two more seasons and he will be the team's highest-paid player at $17 million in 2023. Brisker has three seasons remaining on his rookie contract, as does Hicks. Backup safety and special teams ace DeAndre Houston-Carson is set to become an unrestricted free agent. A.J. Thomas is under team control for one more season. Adrian Colbert signed a futures contract.

Grade: B+

The safety position grades out better than any other position on the Bears' roster.

Plan

With another offseason under his belt, Brisker should be set up well to make even more big plays in 2023. There's no reason to change anything with the duo of Brisker and Jackson on the back end. Resources should be diverted elsewhere along the defense.

The Bears should look to re-sign Houston-Carson for another year and keep Hicks as a backup and special teamer.