The five biggest draft needs of the Chicago Bears
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears Need No. 2: Cornerback
One of the few bright spots in 2021 was the emergence of Jaylon Johnson at cornerback. With the departure of Kyle Fuller, Johnson had no choice but to line up across from the likes of Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samuel, and Ja’Marr Chase. Johnson may have held his own with many of them, but there was too much pressure on him to be perfect. Although Thomas Graham Jr. showed some promise towards the end of the season, he is still considered an unknown for now. The Bears would be wise to bolster their secondary in the draft.
Potential Targets
Roger McCreary appears to be a pretty safe pick that could be available at pick 39 or 48. He guarded some of the best receivers in college football at Auburn and, for the most part, looked very good doing so. McCreary’s physicality and play strength compensate for his size and is as battle-tested as anyone in this class.
Ahmad Gardner may have stolen the spotlight this offseason, but it was his Cincinnati teammate Coby Bryant that won the Jim Thorpe award given to the best defensive back in college football. Bryant has elite ball skills and does a great of breaking up passes at the point of the catch. He also excels in zone coverage, which is a good fit in Eberflus’ defense.
Similar to how Gardner has overshadowed Bryant, Washington’s Trent McDuffie’s top-15 buzz has caused Kyler Gordon to be an afterthought. Gordon’s stock has fallen considerably since his disappointing 40-time of 4.52, but he plays so much faster than that on tape and has consistently improved throughout his college career.
Bottom line: There is enough depth at corner for a quality prospect to slip to the second round, similar to how Johnson did back in 2020. Chicago already has two building blocks on the defense. They now have the chance to get a third.