In his first year as Bears defensive coordinator, Dennis Allen has done a masterful job of putting players in positions to succeed by accentuating their strengths.
There's no better example of that than veteran safety Kevin Byard III, who leads the NFL with six interceptions while lining up primarily as a traditional centerfielder-type free safety.
"I'm being put in position where I'm playing to my strengths, being able to be further back in the defense, being able to read routes and being a ballhawk; what I've always been in my career," Byard told ChicagoBears.com. "No matter where you put me on the field, I'm going to be productive. I'm just producing more interceptions because of what I'm being asked to do."
Shortly after Allen was hired by the Bears, Byard heard only great things about the veteran coach from players he had worked with in New Orleans. Linebacker Demario Davis and safeties Tyrann Mathieu and Ugo Amadi all provided rave reviews.
"I talked to those guys and they said, 'You'll love his system,'" Byard said. "And then getting here, I had a lot of interceptions during training camp—especially in those joint practices—so I started to see, 'Hey, I can really be highly productive as far as ball production within this defense.' It's just coming to fruition."
Byard has registered interceptions in two of the last three games after picking off four passes in a four-game stretch earlier in the season. The Bears are 5-0 when he has an interception in a game this year and 4-3 when he does not.
"He's incredible," said first-year coach Ben Johnson. "I had a lot of respect for him from afar prior to coming into the building. It's nothing but grown from there. He's done a tremendous job taking care of his own business first and foremost. He's playing at a really high level on that back end, picking up a new scheme, and he's really leading the charge not just for the defense, but the entire team."
Byard possesses a rare combination of instincts and ball skills. He demonstrated both in last Friday's win over the Eagles when he bolted from the middle of the field to make a sliding interception of a Jalen Hurts pass near the sideline.
In a Week 4 victory over the Raiders, Byard picked off two passes after reading the routes the receivers were running after seeing them on tape.
"The interception I had versus Philly, that's something I was born with, being able to track the ball in the air and having the athleticism to go get it," Byard said. "But then there are other plays that I've made, like the two interceptions against the Raiders, just having a ton of film study, anticipating what's going to happen and then trusting my preparation to go make those plays."
Byard joined the Bears in 2024 after spending his first eight NFL seasons with the Titans (2016-23) and Eagles (2023). In 2017, he was voted to his first of two Pro Bowls after leading the league with eight interceptions. His six picks this year have increased his career total to 35, the most by any player since he entered the NFL in 2016.
While Byard's on-field production has fueled a defense that leads the NFL with 26 takeaways, the veteran leadership he has provided has been just as valuable.
"I lean into him heavily for kind of feeling the pulse of the locker room," Johnson said. "He knows what winning looks like. His voice really carries a lot of weight for everybody in the building."
"He's just a true pro," Allen said. "He's seen a lot of football, and he's done a really good job for us in a leadership role of being the voice for the back end of the defense in particular. He's got great ball skills and he's got really good instincts. He's searching out opportunities to go make plays, and when they've presented themselves, he's made them, and that's what you have to be able to do."
