The Bears have kept their hand on their holster when it comes to making a splash in the defensive backfield thus far.
Numbers don’t lie, however, and the Bears defense needs some fine tuning on the back end. They were 17th in the league in passing yards per game, and gave up the seventh highest QBR of any team.
This year’s NFL draft class is loaded with potential game changers in the secondary, and it’s all but certain that at least one of them will call Chicago home.
Here are 10 cornerbacks that the Bears could select in the NFL draft:
1
Julius Brents, Kansas State
We’ll start with a guy who won’t go in the first round, but has all the potential to be the best cornerback in this class. Brents came into the offseason as a likely third-fourth round selection. After some phenomenal work over the last few months, specifically in Mobile during the Senior Bowl, he may go in the middle of the second round. Brents is tall, lanky, and sticky in man coverage. His height doesn’t compromise his speed or ability to make plays on the ball. The Bears need true perimeter corners, and Brents would be a great selection.
2
Devon Witherspoon, Illinois
Witherspoon is arguably the best cornerback in this class, and he played his college ball right up the street in Champaign. As well has being a good man-to-man coverage guy, Witherspoon finishes tackles and isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty. He’s a little slim, but that is one of the very few minuscule concerns with him carrying over to the NFL- he is going to be a stud.
3
Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
Gonzalez is another long, athletic cornerback that will go in the first 15 picks. He isn’t as tall or as long as Brents, but his 32-inch arms are still incredibly useful in man-coverage situations. Gonzalez is also very fast. He ran a 4.38 40, and his closing speed is second to none. He would be a fantastic addition to the Bears secondary, and a foundational piece for this new generation to be built around.
4
Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Porter rounds out the big 3 cornerbacks of this year’s class. Out of all the guys likely to go in the top 20, Porter’s man-to-man defense may be the best out of all of them. He’s tough to shake, doesn’t bite on shoulder fakes, and his recovery when his man does get past him is incredibly impressive.
5
Kelee Ringo, Georgia
Ringo is arguably the most athletic cornerback in this class. He is the prototype for an all-world defensive back. At 6-foot-2, he has the height, he has a strong frame of 207 pounds, and he has the speed of a track athlete with a 40 yard dash time of 4.36. His coverage skills are there, as well. While he still has a little bit of fine tuning to do when it comes to deep man-to-man coverage, he would be a fine addition if the Bears were to trade up in the early portion of the second round.
6
Emmanuel Forbes, Mississippi State
Forbes is another guy that has gained traction over the last few weeks. His instincts are his best asset. He picked off six passes in 2022, returning three for touchdowns. With those instincts, though, means he will take chances that could lead to big plays over the top. However, if his production is anywhere near what it was in 2022, the good far outweighs the bad.
7
Darius Rush, South Carolina
Rush doesn’t get as much attention as his Gamecock counterpart, Cam Smith, but he is a guy that could be a mid-round gem. He is another one of these players that was built in a lab. Great height, great speed, and great ball skills. However, his man-to-man coverage was something that lacked on tape, and his best fit would be a zone-heavy scheme. The potential is there, though, and he can continue to get better.
8
Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
Kelly isn’t flashy. He isn’t going to be a guy who leads the league in interceptions or be one of the top corners in the game, but what he will be is a dog that wears down opposing receivers. He is very good in man-to-man situations, has good height and ball skills, and made the most of his time in Mobile by popping during practice. Every team needs a Kyu Blu Kelly.
9
DJ Turner, Michigan
Turner is slightly undersized. He has solid height at 5-foot-11, but weighs just 178 pounds. What he lacks in size, though, he makes up for in athleticism. He ran a whopping 4.26 40 at the NFL Combine- that is game-changing speed. On top of that, he is a very technically-sound defensive back when it comes to his mechanics- the Bryan Danielson of the basics of defensive back play, if you will.
10
Clark Phillips III, Utah
Phillips is on the smaller size at 5-foot-9, but my goodness is he sound with his footwork. Not only that, but he plays the ball in the air as well as any defensive back in the draft. His size will see him slip into the second round, but the pure talent and mechanics are there.
