10 cornerbacks Bears could pick in upcoming draft originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When Ryan Poles first addressed the media he conveyed the importance of building the Bears roster through the draft. Heading into 2022, one of the position groups that needs the most bolstering is cornerback. To start, the team needs to find an outside corner to play opposite Jaylon Johnson. They probably need to add a slot corner as well, to join recent free agent signee Tavon Young. Slot corner is one of the most important positions in Matt Eberflus’ defense, and Young has a lengthy injury history, so depth will be needed behind him. Kindle Vildor and Thomas Graham will each have the opportunity to show their new coaches that they’ve grown over the past year, but the team will certainly want to bring in serious competition, too. While Eberflus’ scheme largely relies on zone concepts, corners will be asked to play man coverage at times too. They’ll also always be expected to chip in on run defense, so that will be an important trait to look for in potential draft prospects.
Without a first a first-round pick, players like Sauce Gardner, Derek Stingley Jr. and Andrew Booth Jr. will likely already be long gone by the time the Bears are on the clock, so we’re going to focus on who could still be on the board at No. 39 when the Bears first pick, and beyond.
ROGER MCCREARY – AUBURN
Expert consensus: 2nd round
In Cover 2 defenses, like Matt Eberflus’, cornerbacks are often asked to play press coverage, and this is where McCreary excels. He’s physical near the line and does a good job staying tight with wide receivers. In scenarios where he does play off the line a bit, he’s also shown good speed to close the gap and can leave his feet to break up passes. Named All-SEC First Team in 2021.
KAIIR ELAM – FLORIDA
Expert consensus: 2nd round
Elam impressed right away at Florida, and started five games as a freshman. He’s another CB who does well in press coverage, by…