3 position battles to keep an eye on in the Chicago Bears preseason finale against Buffalo

Is Tyrique Stevenson ready to be the Chicago Bears second cornerback?

If everything goes as planned, the Bears could have one of the league's best secondary units this year. Eddie Jackson got back to his ball-hawking ways last year. Jaquan Brisker and Kyler Gordon showed great promise and versatility in their rookie seasons. Jaylon Johnson might not be elite, but he has been as steady as they come as a cover man. The only question mark is who will lock down the other outside cornerback spot.

Tyrique Stevenson figures to have the first shot at claiming the starting job, as the front office liked him enough to trade up to select the University of Miami product in the second round of this year's draft. However, he has already had his fair share of struggles through two preseason contests, including an inexcusable unnecessary roughness penalty where he threw his opponent down when they were already well out of bounds.

It is fair to expect an adjustment period for rookie corners, as the playing speed ramps up quickly against NFL signal callers and pass-catchers who have been mastering their craft for years. We saw that last season with Kyler Gordon, who looked like a completely different player late in the year after getting lost in coverage a quarter of the way through the season.

Gordon's quick development offers hope that they can get Stevenson on the right path and keep him there. With that said, the Bears have another rookie cornerback who received reviews out of training camp in Terell Smith, a big-bodied cover man with rare athleticism for his size. The fifth-round selection has yet to make his preseason debut, but he could make the decision significantly more difficult for the coaching staff if he picks up where he left off before getting hurt.

Smith is slated to debut against the Bills, and both rookie corners will have a chance to make their case for a starting job. If nothing else, he can close the gap on Stevenson and shorten his leash ahead of the regular season.