The Chicago Bears have four picks in the 2024 draft. That means they must make each and every one of them count. GM Ryan Poles may try to procure more, but until then, he must make sure every evaluation is on point. One would think he’d stay focused on the position groups where the Bears have glaring needs. After quarterback, one can safely argue that is edge rusher, wide receiver, defensive tackle, and offensive tackle. If he can come out of this draft with a good player at one of those positions, it can be called a success.
That is what makes the recent updates about the Bears’ pre-draft visits so unusual. According to multiple insiders, the team has been busy lining up meetings with some of the top cornerbacks in this class. Ryan Fowler of Bleacher Report revealed they were looking into Elijah Jones of Boston College. Justin Melo of The Draft Network reported that they were also bringing in Nehemiah Pritchett of Auburn the day before. Both players are expected to go somewhere on Day 2 of the draft.
The Chicago Bears clearly value cornerbacks.
That much has been obvious from their approach to the position since Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus arrived. In that time, the Bears have taken two such players in the 2nd round (Kyler Gordon and Tyrique Stevenson). Terell Smith also joined in as a 5th round pick, while Jaylon Johnson inked a lucrative contract extension. The thinking seems to be you can never have enough good cornerbacks, which is true in this pass-first era of the NFL. It isn’t hard to see the interest in Jones or Pritchett, either.
One thing the Chicago Bears love is big athletes. Both cornerbacks are above 6’0 and have tremendous physical upside. Jones has an insane 42.5-inch vertical. Pritchett has 4.36 speed. Both have good length to give wide receivers problems in press coverage. The sticking point for both is their general lack of physicality. Neither is overly good in run support. However, they do share one trait that undoubtedly got Eberflus’ attention.
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They get their hands on the football a lot.
Jones had seven interceptions over the past two seasons. Pritchett has three interceptions and 24 passes defended over four seasons. In a defense where turnovers are king, it’s easy to see the appeal.
