Marshon Lattimore, a cornerback out of Ohio State, is considered to be the number one cornerback in the 2017 NFL draft. The Bears might be a good fit for him. Cornerback has been a sticking point for the Bears in recent years and adding a solid number one cover corner could do wonders for them.
Looking at his upside, you will see that he is one of the best athletes in this year’s draft. He is able to keep a receiver from running perfect routes and his use of his hands is very good. Lattimore can get to and close in on the play quickly and is productive. He can knock the ball away from the receiver well and is a solid tackler. His form and technique when tackling are sound and in today’s NFL, where tackling is getting worse, that’s a huge plus.
Some of the downside to Lattimore, as told us by Pro Football Focus says:
"Lost the ball at times and looked too focused on the receiver. Countered this with a fantastic ability to get his arm out to swap the ball away more often than not though."
"Seems to want to play the man more than the ball, a little Eli Apple-like."
"Redshirted in 2014 and played just 84 snaps in 2015 thanks to injuries, before taking over as a starter this year."
"Played almost exclusively right cornerback, so has little-to-no experience tracking receivers or playing in the slot."
The Bears did a little work this off-season to help shore up their cornerback position by bringing in Marcus Cooper and Prince Amukamara. Both are not pillars of greatness and are inconsistent in terms of their ability on the field and to stay on the field. Then you have Kyle Fuller who is coming off of an injury and may be moved to safety. There is also Tracy Porter who had a horrible year last year. Sprinkle in some not so well-developed depth and that’s the Bears cornerback position in a nutshell.
You can’t say they don’t need an upgrade there. And why not give it an upgrade with the best player at that position it the 2017 NFL Draft? He’s a guy the Bears need, can easily get and no one person would be disappointed if they drafted him.