4. Bilal Nichols and Akiem Hicks together could be a problem for offenses
Bilal Nichols got first crack at replacing Eddie Goldman at nose tackle after he opted out of the season due to health and safety concerns. The third-year defensive lineman is coming off a bit of a letdown after emerging his rookie season, but part of that was due to the absence of fellow lineman Akiem Hicks.
Now healthy and an open spot on the line, Hicks and Nichols could be playing a lot more together this season, which is a problem for offensive linemen if Monday’s practice is any indication.
#Bears defensive lineman Bilal Nichols played nose today in place of Eddie Goldman. He said believes he can handle it. He and Akiem Hicks gave the offensive line plenty of problems early during some run-game work.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) August 17, 2020
Goldman is billed as one of the top run stuffers in the league. And even though Nichols won’t likely completely make up his production, he’ll hold his own should he win the starting job. Hicks has always viewed Nichols as a little brother since coming into the league and having them on the field at the same time could be very beneficial for everyone involved.
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