Confidence is growing for Bears rookie DTs Zacch Pickens, Gervon Dexter

LAKE FOREST - All throughout rookie minicamp, OTAs and training camp, Bears rookie defensive tackle Zacch Pickens had a nagging feeling in the back of his mind.

"Do I belong here?" that voice said.

Pickens was achieving his lifelong dream. He was playing in the NFL. But there was still a little bit of doubt. When he stepped onto the football field for the preseason opener a few weeks ago, all doubts disappeared. Pickens had a sack in that preseason game against Tennessee.

"I felt like I was doing a lot of stuff better than I was in practice," Pickens said. "I started recognizing stuff quicker than what I was doing."

Pickens and fellow rookie defensive tackle Gervon Dexter both had good preseasons. They were two of the team's premier draft picks in April. Dexter went in the second round out of Florida, while Pickens was a third-round pick out of South Carolina.

The two massive defensive tackles have become two peas in a pod. When one walks into the room, the other usually isn't far behind.

"It seems like they are going home and really thinking about it," veteran defensive tackle Andrew Billings said. "And you tell them something one day and they come out and they're working on it and trying to fix it. Then you don't see (the same mistake) in the game. That's what pros do."

Dexter didn't have the same doubts that Pickens did during camp. He knew he belonged in the NFL. In his mind, he was more upset that he wasn't drafted higher. The 53rd overall pick felt that he should've been a first-round pick.

"My mentality was always to prove people wrong since I got here," Dexter said. "I definitely had a couple moments where I realized, 'Yeah, I can play in this league and do well in this league.'"

Dexter believes he's already a completely different player than he was last season at Florida. In training camp, he has focused on getting upfield. The Bears want him to play vertically, disrupting the pocket.

With Pickens, his focus lately has been on the nose tackle position, essentially lining up closer to the opposing center than the guard. Both players, though, have spent time learning both spots.

The Bears are hoping to be more competitive this season than they were a year ago. Still, they have a lot of young players who are expected to take on big roles. The defensive line might be where that is most notable.

Dexter and Pickens will likely come off the bench when the season begins Sept. 10 against the Packers. Billings and veteran defensive tackle Justin Jones will likely start in the two defensive tackle spots. But every good NFL defensive line has a rotation of players coming in and out of the game. Dexter and Pickens will see playing time.

And they will likely being playing right beside each other when they do.

"We give each other confidence and that's the only thing I always wanted and if you believe it, he believes it, we're going to be all right," Pickens said. "And I feel like, if we play our cards right, can't nobody stop us."

It might take time for them to develop into the dynamic duo that general manager Ryan Poles hopes they can become. With any rookies, growing pains are to be expected.

But the confidence is growing by the day.

"Everything that I've seen, everything that coaches showed me, [shows] that I belong here," Pickens said.