Eddie Jackson is on the starting path

There is no doubt safety was a weakness for the Bears. It is no surprise that Quintin Demps was signed and has been thrust into the starting lineup. It also should not be surprising that the Bears took a chance on Eddie Jackson in the fourth round. So far, the pick has paid off and Jackson has been the hyped up safety around training camp so far.

This should not be a major surprise. Jackson had the talent to be a second round type of player. However, he broke his leg in 2016, which absolutely affected his draft stock. It is fair to dock a player for an injury history. However, it is fortunate that the Bears bet on this player so far.

He appears to be completely healthy and should be competing for a lot of playing time during the preseason.

His skill set was versatile, and he has great ball skills in the air, as he returned punts and picked off six passes during his junior year. That is why it is no surprise that of the group, he is sticking out as one of the more dynamic defensive backs in terms of playing the ball in the air.

Let’s get real, the starting safety jobs are not locked in. Adrian Amos has started the past two seasons, but he has less pedigree than Jackson coming into the NFL. Amos does not have nearly the same ball skills, and while Amos is a much better tackler, there is no way that the Bears are not at least looking at this competition.

Next: Eric Kush out for the season

From there, the Bears have a lot of depth pieces and a couple projects such as Deiondre Hall and Deandre Houston-Carson. Still, it is Jackson shining high above these names, and with a strong preseason, the noise may start to get very loud that the Bears need to get this rookie in the lineup as soon as possible.