Kyler Gordon on entering Year 2: I feel like I know my place

Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon didn’t enter the NFL as a typical second-round pick last season. He was the Bears’ first selection of the 2022 NFL Draft — No. 39 overall — and the first-ever draft pick for general manager Ryan Poles.

And that comes with pressure.

Adding to Gordon’s stress was the expectation he’d start right away for a Chicago Bears defense in transition. Coach Matt Eberflus was new to the job, and Jaylon Johnson was the only cornerback on the roster who appeared destined for a starting gig.

As a result, Gordon’s learning curve was non-existent. He had to learn on the job, and at times, it didn’t look great.

Perhaps it was the result of having too much on his plate. He registered 431 snaps in the slot and 235 out wide. Gordon couldn’t settle into any spot, which could change in 2023. The Bears have made it clear they want him primarily serving as the nickel, which has made his comfort level go way up.

Kyler Gordon more relaxed entering second season

“I do feel extremely comfortable,” Gordon said at OTAs. “I feel like I know my place, where I’m supposed to be and stuff like that, so definitely coming back this second year, I definitely don’t have any of the ‘where am I?’ like I did the first year. I feel like I know where I’m at, what’s going on.”

Comfort matters. The more comfortable Gordon is in Eberflus’ defense, the more he can allow his top-shelf athletic ability to shine. It was on display at times in 2022. But there were concerning lapses in his game that caused some to wonder how high his ceiling is.

Gordon was one of the lowest-graded defenders on the Chicago Bears last season with a 49.8 score from Pro Football Focus.

“I feel like there were some things [where] I definitely wouldn’t align like that or do it like that again,” Gordon said.

But that’s in the past. Now, it’s all about Gordon teaming up with Johnson and rookie Tyrique Stevenson to give the Bears one of their most naturally gifted trios of cornerbacks in a very long time.

“Last year, everything was just in a frenzy because he wants to please, he wants to do, he wants to be so good,” Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams said of Gordon. “You can see when a guy can relax and go out there — and we call it the RPMs — that his RPMs are not always in the red all the time. So then, if they’re not in the red all the time, he’s mentally alert but is physically relaxed in how he’s playing now.”