Zacch Pickens Selected by the Chicago Bears in the Third Round

University of South Carolina defensive tackle Zacch Pickens was selected by the Chicago Bears with the first pick in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft. He was the 64th player taken overall.

The highly-decorated Pickens, who measured in at 6-3 5/8 and 298 pounds on the Gamecocks’ Pro Timing Day, was voted the team’s Most Outstanding Senior, the Joe Morrison Award winner as the MVP of the defense, the Steve Wadiak Team MVP Award winner and was one of five players presented with the Rex Enright Team Captains’ Award following the 2022 season. He started all 12 regular season games, and was credited with 42 tackles with 4.0 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

For his career, Pickens, a native of Anderson, S.C., appeared in 47 games with 32 starts. A four-year letterwinner, he collected 131 career tackles including 11.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks.

Pickens was the second Gamecock selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, joining Cam Smith, who went to the Miami Dolphins in the second round. Pickens was the first Gamecock defensive tackle drafted since Javon Kinlaw went to the San Francisco 49ers in 2020. He was the first player selected by the Bears since Alshon Jeffery was taken in the second round of the 2012 draft.