When thinking about the Chicago Bears’ biggest needs going into the draft, most will start with the obvious. The offensive line and wide receivers top most lists for obvious reasons. Justin Fields must be a priority, and both those position groups lack proven talent. After that, the general consensus among most fans is cornerback sits not too far behind. Outside of Jaylon Johnson, the Bears don’t have a proven coverage option.
Signing veteran Tavon Young to play nickel should help, but the possibilities become thin really fast after that. Thomas Graham Jr. flashed some promise as a rookie, but he was drafted to play in a different system. Kindle Vildor was a mess almost every time he stepped on the field. Everything points to Ryan Poles grabbing a corner at some point in this draft. One fellow GM warned against that, according to Peter King of The Athletic.
This isn’t the most reliable class at the position in his mind.
GM7: “I’m happy we don’t have a big corner need in this draft. I like Sauce Gardner, but I worry about his tackling and his physicality. [Derek] Stingley is probably going in the top 10, and he hasn’t played well since 2019. How are you not worried about that? There’s not a great, clean corner in this draft, and after the top two, I’ve got questions on them all.”
When going around and looking at the possibilities the Chicago Bears could take in the 2nd or 3rd rounds, he may have a point. Roger McCreary of Auburn is only 5’11 with very short arms and average speed. Kaiir Elam of Florida has persistent technical issues. Kyler Gordon of Washington misses a lot of tackles and doesn’t show the best instincts. Fast-rising Tariq Woolen of UTSA is an athletic freak but lacks ball skills and doesn’t always seem to give 100%.
Obviously, this doesn’t mean every single cornerback with question marks will flop in the NFL. Some will be good, but it does raise the risk factor considerably. That might explain the recent statement from former Bears scout Greg Gabriel that he’s heard the team will focus more on linemen in the early rounds. Not only does Poles see the game through the trenches, but he also doesn’t trust the skill positions. Cornerback included.
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