Chicago Bears double up on quarterback in this seven-round mock draft

Round 6 Ι Pick 215: The Chicago Bears select safety Quentin Lake

In the coming years, the Bears are going to need to find a long-term option to start at safety next to Eddie Jackson. Next year, they could opt to re-sign Tashaun Gipson, who has had a pretty good year for Chicago. But, they still may need additional depth or another option to eventually take over.

That’s where a kid like UCLA’s Quentin Lake comes into play. As a later round shot, the Bears get a guy who is highly versatile at the safety position. The advantage Lake would give the Bears is that he can not only align at safety but as a nickel if need be, and potentially even in the slot.

The biggest reason Lake will fall in the draft is due to a lack of big plays made. He’s a guy who simply does his job and is a great athlete, but has rarely come up with any game-changing plays. Quite honestly, that’s O.K. For a player likely coming in to play strong safety, the Bears would need Lake to focus mostly on his job in run support and making tackles underneath him.

Fortunately, that’s where Lake excels. He doesn’t miss many tackles. He’ll fight to take opposing ball carriers to the ground and will not let go. If one thing was apparent from this Bears defense in 2020, it was the poor tackling. Lake’s mentality will not fly with that type of poor effort. He’s a sure tackler.