Bears CB Tyrique Stevenson shares challenges of covering WRs Keenan Allen & Rome Odunze.
Second-year cornerback Tyrique Stevenson explains what new wide receivers Keenan Allen and Rome Odunze are bringing to the team.
LAKE FOREST, Ill., — Tyrique Stevenson had a memorable rookie season for the Chicago Bears last year, leading all rookie cornerbacks in interceptions (4). If all goes to plan, he could be even better this year. Stevenson and the rest of Chicago’s secondary have two new wide receivers to defend in veteran Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze. The addition of Allen and Odunze in a room that already includes the underrated DJ Moore and young speedsters Velus Jones Jr. and Tyler Scott promises to test the old “iron sharpens iron” adage. Stevenson believes simply going up against the Bears’ new WRs room is going to take his game to the next level this year.
“These receivers bring out different problems, so just covering Rome, covering Keenan, covering DJ, covering Tyler just gives you a different aspect of the game of what they bring to the table,” Stevenson said during training camp. “So, pretty much any receiver I see this year, I’ll already have seen the best of the best in practice.”
A second-round selection for the Bears in 2023, Stevenson started 16 games for the Bears last year, missing one game due to an ankle issue. In addition to his four picks, he finished with 86 total tackles (one for loss), 2 forced fumbles and 16 passes defensed. Stevenson’s play also got better as the season progressed. All four of his interceptions came Week 11 or later, as did both of his forced fumbles.
“As a rookie, you’re always going to go through your little hiccups and bumps and stuff, but he’s always been able to take that and turn it into lessons and grow,” Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon said about Stevenson. “I feel like you guy saw the PBUs and picks starting to come later in the season more and more and stuff like that. And the matchups he’s been able to have, he’s just been able to lock down some of those guys and he’s just been growing steadily and consistently.” Now, going up against the likes of Allen, Moore and Odunze in practice, Stevenson is learning more about how to defend complex routes. Allen, specifically, has excelled as a route-runner over his 11-year career.
“Keenan’s a magician,” Stevenson said about the veteran wideout. “Just the fact that he can stop mid-route, change his whole route or just the fact that he gives you something different than what you’re expecting. He might break in side, but he’s doing that just to see on the next play how he can get you on a route that’s coming to him.
Stevenson has also been impressed with what he has seen from Odunze. “He’s sneaky fast,” Stevenson said about the rookie WR. “Like off the line, you might not realize he’s closing the cushion as fast, but once he on you, he on you. Just the fact that he’s able to run the wheel routes, he’s able to break down and run the digs, or if you let him he’ll run right by you. Just the fact that he can pretty much do every route on the route tree.”
Together, Stephenson, Gordon and All-Pro corner Jaylon Johnson should help the Bears have one of the league’s best secondaries, and facing Allen, Odunze and company on the reg should only contribute to that.
