When the Chicago Bears cornerbacks take the field in just under a week, there will be some familiarity but also quite a bit of change. Pro Bowl cornerback Kyle Fuller returns as the team’s top option as he continues to establish himself as one of the best corners in the game, but he doesn’t know who his counterpart on the other side of the field will be.
Former starting cornerback Prince Amukamara was released in February and the Bears have brought in a bevy of players in free agency and the NFL Draft to compete for the starting position opposite of Fuller.
The position group will certainly be one to watch when camp officially begins. Here is a breakdown of each cornerback as the Bears get ready for the 2020 season.
Kyle Fuller
Kyle Fuller continues to rewrite his own history as the former 2014 first-round draft pick went from bust to beast. Fuller put together another fine season in 2019, intercepting three passes and posting a career high in tackles with 82. His production did slip from his outstanding 2018 season, but that was in part due to the Bears’ front seven not generating enough pass rush. Fuller is a player who plays off the ball, able to watch the quarterback and receiver to make last-minute plays on the ball.
Fuller is one of the longest-tenured Bears and will be expected to lead the position group on and off the field more than ever now that Amukamara, one of the team’s key leaders since 2017, has moved on. His first task? Mentoring the Bears hotshot second-round draft pick.
Jaylon Johnson
The Bears’ No. 2 selection of the second round in the 2020 NFL Draft, Jaylon Johnson is a popular pick to be the team’s rookie of the year. Johnson was a standout performer at Utah, helping anchor one of the best defenses in the country. His jaw-dropping stat of allowing just three touchdowns in over 1,200 snaps was one of the best nuggets to come out of the draft. He’s an athletic corner who has an edge to him and is already looking forward to covering the other elite receivers in the division.
The question is, can he secure a starting spot when Week 1 rolls around? Johnson has plenty of upside and should play a significant roll on the defense throughout the season. But with limited offseason activities, he could be behind the eight ball considering he’ll have his share of competition. While it’s still unclear whether or not he’ll line up opposite of Fuller right away, Johnson has a bright future and could be the next star of a vaunted defense.
Kevin Toliver II
Toliver saw his opportunity to earn the starting spot get a little murky with the arrivals of Johnson and free agent cornerbacks Artie Burns and Tre Roberson. The third-year pro, who has seen bits of work over his first two seasons, will have to fight for that spot when camp begins.
Toliver came to the Bears as an undrafted free agent out of LSU in 2018, but had quite a bit of buzz. The former Tiger has found himself in and out of the lineup, pressed into duty due to injuries at various points. His most notable performance came against Dallas Cowboys receiver Amari Cooper last season, where he held his own against the Pro-Bowl wideout.
Toliver is one of the bigger corners on the team, standing at 6’2″. He can be a physical defender and is still presumed by many to have the inside track at the starting spot. With the NFL likely to forgo their preseason games this year, Toliver may be able to hold on to the spot for the time being. But he’ll need to play exceptionally well to keep Johnson and co. at bay.
Tre Roberson
One of the Bears first signings of 2020, Roberson came from the Great White North after spending the last two seasons in the Canadian Football League (CFL) with the Calgary Stampeders. Roberson is another player vying for the starting cornerback position and he’s one of the most athletic defenders the Bears have. He proved to be a ballhawk with the CFL over the last two years, intercepting 10 passes and forcing two fumbles as he helped the Stampeders win the Grey Cup in 2018.
Roberson played college ball just south of Chicago at Illinois State University. After going undrafted in 2016, he signed with the Minnesota Vikings as a member of their practice squad. Now back in the NFL, Roberson is itching to show he’s not just a Canadian wonder and that he belongs in the NFL. When signing with the Bears, Roberson inked the second-largest contract for a CFL player in NFL history, behind only linebacker Cameron Wake’s deal with the Miami Dolphins back in 2009.
No matter how the training camp battle shakes out, Roberson’s spot on the roster appears safe. How he will make an impact on the team, however, remains to be seen.
Artie Burns
Burns lived up to his last name over the past few seasons as he was lit up by opposing wide receivers as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The former 2016 first-round draft pick saw a promising rookie campaign turn into dust as injuries and poor play forced him to the bench. Now, Burns comes to the Bears with a chance for redemption.
While he might still be in the mix to steal the starting spot on the defense, Burns will likely contribute primarily on special teams. The cornerback is an excellent athlete who should help the Bears on kickoffs and punt coverage. It wouldn’t be a shock to see Burns not make the final roster if he has a bad camp, but chances are he’ll carve out a role wherever he can.
Buster Skrine
When Buster Skrine signed his three-year deal as a free agent after leaving the New York Jets last season, there was quite a bit of concern that the Bears overpaid for a player who was best known for racking up penalties and getting beat in coverage. But Skrine proved to be fairly valuable in his first season in Chicago as the team’s top nickel corner, giving up a completion percentage of 59%, the lowest among team cornerbacks. He did give up his fair share of plays, particularly late in the season, but he was far from a liability.
Skrine should begin the season atop the nickel spot once again, but he’ll have players breathing down his neck. He’ll need to play like he did during the first half of the 2019 season for him to feel comfortable about his role. Otherwise, there could be a few players who will see more playing time as a result.
Duke Shelley
Shelley saw eight more snaps on the Bears defense than I did last season. He started the season as a key contributor on special teams before finding himself in street clothes and really never found a way on the defensive side of the ball. Shelley, the team’s sixth-round draft selection in 2019, seemed destined to be a nickel corner in the NFL, but hasn’t found his opportunity yet as Skrine locked up the spot and didn’t look back.
The former Kansas State Wildcat appeared ready to play a significant role in defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano’s unit. Now, in his second year, Shelley has more competition than ever and will need to standout to secure his spot as more than an occasional special-teams contributor.
Kindle Vildor
The Bears’ other rookie cornerback, Kindle Vildor comes from a small school but he’s played some of the best competition. Drafted in the fifth round, Vildor made a name for himself when he successfully shut down Clemson receiver Tee Higgins in 2018 when Georgia Southern took on the ACC giant. Vildor didn’t allow a completion to the 2020 second-round draft pick. While they lost the game, Vildor won his battle and that game put him on the map as a dangerous defensive back.
Vildor could be someone who contributes in Week 1, likely on special teams. While there is some competition ahead of him on the depth chart, don’t be surprised to see Vildor emerge as an option in the defensive backfield.
Stephen Denmark
Stephen Denmark was an intriguing prospect coming out of last year’s draft. He’s a converted wide receiver who is still learning to play the cornerback position, but has raw athleticism that could translate to the pros at some point.
The problem is, we haven’t seen it yet. Denmark spent all last year on the practice squad after being selected in the seventh round of the 2019 NFL Draft. He does have a fan in Bears secondary coach Deshea Townsend, who worked with Denmark prior to the draft and compared him to Fuller earlier this offseason.
Despite the praise, Denmark is facing an uphill battle to make the roster, especially now that teams will need to cut 10 additional players than normal heading into camp due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The former Valdosta State standout may not even have the opportunity to show what he can do.
Michael Joseph
The local kid continues to try and make his hometown team’s roster. Joseph grew up in suburban Oswego and came to the Bears as an undrafted free agent in 2018 after playing college ball at Division III Dubuque. He has only been a part of the active roster for the final two games last year and did not see any game action.
Joseph’s story is inspiring but unfortunately, his dream of playing for the Chicago Bears may be ending sooner than he hopes. He could still be a candidate for the team’s practice squad but it’s unlikely he’ll see any game action this year.
Xavier Crawford
Xavier Crawford spent his rookie season with two teams in 2019, both with the Houston Texans and Miami Dolphins. He played in five games and posted two total tackles. He has game experience, which is a plus but Crawford is near the bottom of the depth chart in a very deep cornerback room. The former undrafted free agent out of Central Michigan arrived back in December, but will not likely be here for the long haul.
