Kevin Byard has high expectations for the Bears defense in 2024

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — As he prepared to line up with his new team, veteran Bears safety Kevin Byard studied the defense closely.

Byard took notice of key details, such as how returning safety Jaquan Brisker and veteran Eddie Jackson – whom Byard has replaced in the secondary – played off each other previously. Beyond that, the 30-year-old Byard also took notice of the entire defense's lofty potential.

“I mean, we’re expecting to be a top defense,” Byard said Thursday at Bears OTAs. “Anything less than that is a letdown. And also, just know full well that with having a younger quarterback, especially during the year, we have to get off to a fast start. I would say looking over the horizon or whatever, you never know how early in the season, as far as the offense with a lot of new pieces kind of meshing together, so as a defense we’ve go to make sure that we’re being a top defense.

“As we get later in the year and those guys are rolling, all three phases are rolling together, just being a defense we got to make sure that we’re holding it down our end of the bargain no matter what the score is, what the offense is doing, what anybody’s doing. We’ve got to make sure we’re a top defense. That’s what we expect, and we talk about that every single day, even on a day like we had today, the last couple periods it’s like, ‘Hey, we haven’t done anything. We’re just getting started.’ So that’s our plan, and that's what we’re going to continue to work for every single day.”

The Bears put their defense on display Thursday afternoon at Halas Hall in the third practice of OTAs. Facing rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and an offense that has added playmakers, the defense won the day.

But it wasn’t enough for the Bears defense to just assert itself against Williams and the offense. Those on the defensive side of the ball made sure to let their counterparts know about it.

“Definitely, we want to play with an edge,” new Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “We want to compete with an edge. We want to compete like we're the best unit on the field, and that's something you have to back up with how you play, how you study, how you invest. I really like the spirit, like the attitude out there.

“I just feel really good about where we are."

The Bears defense took shape in the second half of the 2023 season following the midseason acquisition of pass rusher Montez Sweat in a trade with the Commanders. Sweat had six sacks in nine games for Chicago as part of his Pro Bowl campaign.

The Bears held opponents to 17 points or fewer in six of the nine games with Sweat, and they had three or more takeaways in five of those contests.

The Bears return nearly their entire starting core on defense, and the addition of Byard should strengthen the unit even more.

“When you look at the talent that's on paper, it's exciting to see,” Byard said. “But at the end of the day, we've got to put it together. What's on paper doesn't really matter. We've just got to continue to work every single day, make each other better. Obviously as we get closer to training camp, making sure that once we leave here, after minicamp and everything, guys are continuing to work, making sure that we come in so that we can hit the ground running when training camp starts.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .