Chicago Bears 2020 NFL Draft Preview: Safety

Who are the best safety options for the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL draft?

We have gone position by position breaking down option for the Chicago Bears in the 2020 NFL draft. Today, we look into the safety position. Remember, we are not looking at the best overall players, but rather who will be a realistic option for the Chicago Bears. We will look to pin down a few options to hope will fall to the Bears.

When looking at the draft positioning from average mock drafts, there are almost always two safeties off of the board by the Bears first pick.

Xavier McKinley, and Grant Delpit

McKinley is the least likely to fall but is the best fit as a pure box safety with great tackling and run-stuffing ability. Delpit is a rangy free safety with tackling issues. That is a not fit with Eddie Jackson anyways.

Round 2 Options

Three safeties are always within the Chicago Bears range in the second round.

Antoine Winfield Jr, Jeremy Chinn, Kyle Dugger

All three could be Chicago Bears by the end of the week. Winfield is a versatile option who may be best off as a free safety, but can undoubtedly slide into the box.

Chinn and Dugger are classic Ryan Pace picks. The two are highly athletic box safeties from small schools. Pace loves his athletes and his small school gems. Both would be great fits next to Jackson longterm, and both are older prospects, who could start week one. We even mocked Chinn to the Bears at pick 50.

Best Fits: Kyle Dugger, Jeremy Chinn

Miss Out On

These players go outside the top 80 picks but go before pick 140. They are not going to fall to the Bears, and the Bears would have to maneuver to add these players

Ashtyn Davis, Terrell Burgess, Brandon Jones, K’Von Wallace

Davis is a free safety, but the others could play in the box if they fall.

Round 5-6 Options

Below is the list of players who fall to the Bears fifth-round pick and could be in play for round six as well.

J.R. Reed, Josh Metellus, Alohi Gillman, Khaleke Hudson, Julian Blackmon

We have mocked Reed to the Bears before, and have written about Hudson and his fit with the Chicago Bears. These are names to watch. Blackmon was a free safety at Utah and was talked about as a cornerback in the NFL. Not a fit.

Gillman and Metellus are worth looking into. Gillman lacks great speed, but is a great processor in the box and is automatic on special teams. He would get a roster spot if he could not beat Deon Bush. Metellus has shown ups but was exposed against NFL athletes at Ohio State. He played free safety at times but will have to move to the box in the NFL. Still, that could make him a Bear, as he does tackle well.

Best fit: J.R. Reed, Alohi Gillman

Round 7 Options

Below is the list of options who fall to round seven on average. The Bears could find some value with these picks.

Geno Stone, Antoine Brooks, Brian Cole, Kamrun Curl, Tanner Muse

Stone and Curl have solid tape but lack athleticism. Stone misses tackles by inches, and that gap could increase in the NFL with his lack of speed. Curl may not have the strength to hang in the box in the NFL.

Brooks is a player we mocked to the Chicago Bears and would be a nice fit in the box.

Muse and Cole are hybrid safeties who could essentially be dime linebackers in the NFL. Both would add special teams value as well.

Best Fit: Antoine Brooks