A lot has been written already about who the Chicago Bears first round pick (#11) will be, so I’m going to look at who might be options for the Bears in rounds two and three of the draft. The Bears filled some holes via free agency and should fill another one in the first round, but there will still be plenty of positions left that need upgrades. I’ll be breaking down potential targets for the Bears on day 2 of the draft at different positions of need over the next few weeks.
The Bears used their top pick on cornerback Kyle Fuller in 2014 and while he’s shown flashes of living up to his lofty draft position, Fuller hasn’t been as consistent as expected so far. He improved significantly the second half of last season, giving me hope that he can develop into at least an above-average corner in his third year in the league.
The Bears took a low-risk flyer on former Saint Tracy Porter last off-season and he turned out to be the Bears best corner for most of the 2015 season. The Bears re-signed Fuller at a reasonable price this off-season, giving the Bears two potentially solid cornerbacks in the starting lineup next year.
Both Fuller and Porter have the potential to be quality starting corners next season, but last year’s biggest surprise was undrafted rookie slot corner Bryce Callahan. I had Callahan pegged for a Bears late round pick last season and he was one of my favorite day 3 slot corner prospects in the draft. He’s undersized, but makes up for it with a 41″ vertical and aggressiveness against the run.
The Bears have three solid corners but really only one other corner on the roster with any promise in Jacoby Glenn, who has great length at 6’1 but needs to gain some weight. Some depth is really needed at the position after both Alan Ball and Sherrick McManis failed as corners last season.
The Bears were rumored to be in on a few free agent corner, but didn’t end up signing any one, despite a clear need for depth which makes me think they will target at least one corner if not two in this year’s draft. I’ve listed a group of corners who could be targets in day two of the draft.
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Day 2 Draft Prospects
DL | QB | RB | EDGE | WR | ILB | TE | CB
I’ve listed the cornerbacks that I project to be available in rounds 2 or 3 below who I think could be good fits for the Bears, listed in order of preference. If you have any questions, complaints, or advice… hit me up in the comments or on Twitter (@MFlannery_)
Cornerbacks
Kendall Fuller, Virginia Tech (5’11 | 187 | 4.48)
The Bears already have his brother Kyle on their roster and a Fuller combo at corner could be potentially dominant considering both of their natural talent. Current Bear Kyle Fuller was a first round pick in 2014 and has shown flashes of elite play but has struggled with inconsistency and injuries. Younger brother Kendall has also had injury problems, missing most of last season due to a meniscus tear.
Before the injury, Kendall was considered a potential top ten overall pick. If both Fullers are 100% healthy the Bears could have two Pro Bowl caliber caliber corners with size, run-stopping ability, and excellent ball skills. The younger Fuller has even more upside than his older brother and could be available in round 2 due to his injury question marks.
Next: Howard & Burns