Chicago Bears defensive lineman Bilal Nichols went from being a relatively unknown player to a starter. He looks to build on that success in year two.
The Chicago Bears had an elite defense in 2018. The unit dominated all season, ranking first in points allowed, interceptions, total turnovers, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns allowed.
A big reason for that was the Bears’ defensive line. The guys up front did a great job of doing whatever it could to succeed. Did you need to apply pressure? They did that. Did you need to shut down the running game? The Bears didn’t allow a rushing touchdown until the 5:43 mark in the fourth quarter of Week 9 against the Buffalo Bills (it was Nathan Peterman, of all people, to finally run into the end zone).
One of the stalwarts of the defensive line was rookie Bilal Nichols. The Bears drafted him in the fifth round of in 2018. He came out of Delaware, so he was relatively unknown. As the season progressed, however, he became well-known.
The original plan for Nichols was to use him as Akiem Hicks‘ backup. Hicks has been an excellent pickup for the Bears from the moment he came to Chicago in 2016. As well as he played, though, he tired towards the end of the season from all the double teams he faced. He didn’t have a great backup so he played a lot of snaps.
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Nichols came in to end all that. Whenever he came in to give Hicks a rest, he played well. He gave Hicks plenty of rest and he was able to play well down the stretch.
Something happened as the season progressed, though. Nichols played not just well, he played very well. The coaches decided that he’d be better off on Hicks’ opposite side. Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris played on that side. Nichols went there and started the final three regular-season games. He ended the season with 28 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles.
In 2019, Nichols looks to build on that rookie success. He worked hard in the offseason so he could break out in 2019, per the College Heights Herald:
"“So, I dropped my body fat a lot — probably about 5-6 percent. Changed my body. Incorporated a very healthy diet. I’ve been in the weight room with Akiem [Hicks], Nick Williams, so that’s helping me get stronger. I’m pretty much the same weight but a lot stronger, a lot more explosive.”"
Nichols’ work should have him play even better in his second season. The Chicago Bears solidified that other side. Now Robertson-Harris is backing up Hicks while Bullard will be battling Nick Williams for the right to be Nichols’ backup.
Nichols has high hopes for himself. While other players get the attention, he just does whatever he can do so the defense succeeds. In his rookie season, he asked the veterans questions. His teammates appreciated how much he wanted to learn and improve. It helped him in his rookie season. Now, in his second season, he feels he can garner his own attention. He wants to be another Bears defensive stalwart to become a Pro Bowl player.
On a defense with elite players, Nichols wants to be one of the unit’s brightest young stars. He remains humble and continues to lean on his veteran teammates to help him continue to succeed. With an even better Nichols, there’s no doubt that the Chicago Bears’ front seven is the best in the NFL. Hopefully, Nichols helps bring a super season to Chicago.