The Chicago Bears are just now getting into the meat of their draft evaluations. They’ve gone through the Senior Bowl and are preparing for the scouting combine. After that, they will start assembling their draft board. Only then will GM Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson start circling players they want the most for their team. However, anybody who understands history will know it doesn’t work that way. There is a strong possibility Poles and others in the organization already have certain favorites. It was that way with Darnell Wright. It was that way with Caleb Williams.
Determining who that player or players might be comes down to assessing where the team sits with their roster. The obvious positions people will jump to include left tackle, defensive end, and defensive tackle. However, safety is the area we may need to watch more closely. All four of their top guys at the position are free agents. The odds of all four returning are remote. That might explain why some NFL scouts believe TCU’s Bud Clark, who just crushed it at the Senior Bowl, will be high on their radar.
“He flew around the field,” they said, “showing sticky man-coverage ability during one-on-one drills, and came downhill during team sessions to break up a pass. He also snagged an acrobatic interception that was called back due to a hold, but he made the play all the same. Clark is one of the most instinctual defenders on the Senior Bowl roster. If he continues to build on his latest outing and finds extra confidence, he’ll create more fans within the NFL scouting community.”
Ideal Landing Spot: Chicago Bears
Bud Clark would likely be the Bears’ successor to Kevin Byard.
Finding good safeties is hard enough. Finding ones who can force turnovers in bunches is even more difficult. Clark has 15 interceptions in his last four seasons, so you know he has a keen eye for the football. One thing that typically translates is ball skills. Granted, not all players can do it in the NFL, but if they did it in college, they’ll learn how in the pros. Clark has the necessary physical traits to make it work. His instincts don’t even need to be discussed. The big conversation for the Bears will be obvious.
His age.
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Having spent six seasons in college, Bud Clark will be older as NFL rookies go, sitting at 24 years old. That is why he’s unlikely to go in the 1st round. Are the Bears willing to look past his age in the 2nd or 3rd round? We already know Poles was willing to take a chance on Velus Jones, who was turning 25 as a rookie. It isn’t crazy to think he’d do the same for Clark, especially if defensive coordinator Dennis Allen likes him.
