This Bears draft pick is dangerously close to being a bust (and camp could seal it)

We love jumping to conclusions as early as possible, sometimes. When it comes to this recent Chicago Bears draft class, there have been plenty of shots called before any of them have even played a single game, let alone had their rookie training camps.

But, beyond all of the speculation, we can dig deeper into previous, recent draft classes and draw some more realistic conclusions. Specifically, 2023 third-round pick Zacch Pickens is coming dangerously close to being labeled a "bust," and we're not talking about that as much as we should be.

If you look at what the Bears have done at the position, just this offseason, you'll see that general manager Ryan Pace has shown very little faith in Pickens panning out to being a factor for this Bears defense.

Zacch Pickens might be off the roster before his rookie contract expires

After playing just 25 percent of defensive snaps as a rookie in 2023, Pickens upped that number to 40 percent last season. However, he appeared in only nine games in 2024 due to injury.

This past offseason, Poles took an opportunity to address the interior of the Bears' defensive line in a big way when he signed Grady Jarrett as a free agent and then drafted Shemar Turner in the second round.

Chicago already had Andrew Billings and fellow 2023 draftee Gervon Dexter there as well, and neither one of them are going anywhere. So, the Bears have four interior defensive linemen that will not only make the roster but have significant playing time.

Where does that leave the former South Carolina standout? In short, it's going to be a battle for him to make this roster. We haven't even gotten to training camp, which means we are still far away from seeing cuts around the rest of the league.

These Bears have been aggressive in finding help at this position, and if there's yet another strong option available via veteran cuts later this summer, Pickens might even be gone before his third season in Chicago.

At the very least, he is in danger not only of being labeled a bust, but not making this team.