5 players who Bears need to be great in 2019

2. Akiem Hicks

Nobody along the Bears’ front line benefited more from Mack’s arrival last year than Hicks. He’d always been a good player, but he emerged as a legitimate Pro Bowler last season. Nagy and his defensive coaching staff need a repeat performance out of Hicks in 2019 to make a Super Bowl run.

The 29-year-old defensive end managed to rack up 7.5 sacks last season, but there’s no reason he can’t crack double-digits this year. The presence of the aforementioned Mack on the same defensive front gives Hicks a lot of opportunities to avoid double teams. He’s got the size and strength to dominate match-ups against offensive tackles left to deal with him one-on-one.

The key for Hicks will be to play with sustained effort during an entire 16-game season. If he does that, the production should come naturally for a player with his kind of talent. Hicks doesn’t need to be the start of the defensive show for the Bears, he just needs to take advantage of the opportunities given to him.

Hicks’ value to this defense isn’t just encapsulated by his ability to rush the passer. He’s also a crucial run defender for the Bears. Chicago needs him to be a complete defender in 2019 to keep this defense playing at such a high level.