9.) Deiondre Hall Will Crack the Starting Lineup and Lead the Team in INTs – Chris Kwiecinski
It’s been awhile since the Bears took a chance on a player from the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) school. In fact, the last time the Bears went the FCS route in an NFL Draft was 2009, when former GM Jerry Angelo took wide receiver Johnny Knox.
Knox carved out a decent tenure in Chicago before the Seahawks’ Anthony Hargrove broke his Vertebrae in 2011, ending his career. Deiondre’ Hall, the Bears latest FCS pick, will fare much better.
Coming out of the University of Northern Iowa (UNI), Hall brings size and range to the Bears secondary, something that’s been sorely needed in Chicago. Hall put those skills on display his last two years at UNI when he nabbed 13 interceptions. Defensive Coordinator Vic Fangio will not only find a way to integrate Hall’s ballhawk skills, but he’ll integrate them fast.
It should be pointed out that Hall isn’t very speedy (4.69). However, what he lacks in speed he makes up for with intuition, length, and physicality. The Chicago Tribune spoke to Hall’s position coach at Northern Iowa, defensive backs coach Brandon Lynch, in early May, and Lynch pointed out Hall’s physicality as one of his outlying traits. Physicality is something the Bears have lacked since Charles Tillman left, and Lynch even said Hall reminds him of Tillman when he came into the league.
How’s that for a comparison?
Let’s just leave it at this: Fangio found a way to make an aging, journeyman defensive back in Tracy Porter a starter in 2015. With young, raw talent like Hall, who has comparable ball-hawking skills to Charles Tillman… the Bears may have found their future at cornerback opposite Kyle Fuller.
Next: Bold Prediction #10