When Tarik Cohen was drafted, all anybody talked about was his size. Being 5’6 in a land of giants like the NFL meant his chances of success were slim. Now he’s an All-Pro and one of the most feared offensive weapons in the game. Yet beyond that is his infectious personality and natural charisma. Seeing that every day must’ve made the Chicago Bears defense jealous.
That won’t do of course. So rather than staring on in envy, GM Ryan Pace seems to have gotten them a Cohen of their own. Or at least it’s starting to see that way. Duke Shelley faced the exact same questions as Cohen when he was drafted out of Kansas State. At just 5’8, he’s awfully short for a cornerback. Even so, the stats were there.
Over the final three seasons of his college career, he had eight interceptions, a sack, a forced fumble, six tackles for loss and two defensive touchdowns. This despite missing nine games over that span with injuries. This kid has skill. Far more than he’s getting credit for. According to head coach Matt Nagy, he also brings the Cohen-like personality too.
“Yeah, that’s (his) infectious personality. From the time we brought him in and we had him here in the facility in his ‘30’ visit, you could feel how vibrant he was and how happy and excited he was just to be here.
“So that’s already gone through that defensive room. So when he makes a good play, he’s going to jump up and be excited. He’s going to let them know that he made a good play in a good way, and his teammates are going to love it. That’s just the personality that he has.”
Duke Shelley already making an impression for Chicago Bears defense
Being another Cohen takes more than personality though. Results on the field are required. Back in 2017, it became apparent early on that the running back was making a lot of plays in practice. Barely three minicamps into this year, and Shelley has already stood out. He played strong coverage and had a nice pass breakup along the way.
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Teammates are already gravitating towards him and the energy he brings. It’s not like the Bears need more help on defense at this point. Still, if Shelley does end up being anywhere close to the undersized playmaker Cohen is, then the embarrassment of riches only grows large on that side of the ball for this team.
Not to mention Pace’s reputation for finding late-round gems.
