Kevin Toliver II in The Top Spot for Bears CB Race
It has been a bumpy ride through seasons at LSU and with the Bears for cornerback Kevin Toliver II.
He's right where he has been trying to get all along and now it's up to him to maintain this status.
Toliver seemed destined to become a great player when he signed as the No. 1 cornerback recruit in the country with LSU, a school known for producing pass defenders. Yet, after his freshman year it became nothing but a struggle for him.
In 2016 Toliver was suspended the first half of a game for missing a meeting and missed the season opener in 2017 for disciplinary reasons. He went undrafted after being relegated to slot coverage duty much of the time at LSU in his final year as Andraez Williams and Donte Jackson slide ahead of him. Then he signed as an undrafted free agent in Chicago.
At 6-foot-2 and with decent speed there is no denying he had the physical tools to play the position in the NFL, and he's had a few chances when Prince Amukamara was out without really distinguishing himself. He didn't play poorly, either, but didn't stand out.
Now Toliver can put that all in the rear view mirror because he is basically starting out as the No. 1 right cornerback in a battle for the spot between veterans and newcomers alike. He started a game and played 135 total snaps when Prince Amukamara had hamstring issues last year.
"KT has a great opportunity," defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend said. "Prince got hurt, he (Toliver) came in and showed what he was supposed to do. He showed that he is a starter in this league.
"Now it's his job to hold everybody off that comes to get it."
Toliver played 175 defensive snaps in 2019 including action against the Cowboys and Packers near season's end. It was 40 more than the previous season and the results were not quite convincing, even if the Bears liked what he did.
"When he has gotten his opportunity, he has gone out there and done some good things," defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said.
Toliver's 2018 results came off as better than last year's. He allowed a passer rating of 87.3 then and 66.7% completions on the 18 times he was targeted. Last season it ballooned to a 122.4 passer rating against and a 68.8 completion percentage allowed. He also missed four tackles last year after missing none in 2018 and allowed 3.4 more yards a completion (14.1) than in 2018.
It's been noted by scouts that Toliver uses his height edge against most receivers well but has a tendency to get handsy downfield and rely on this. It can lead to problems.
"If he does what he did against Davante Adams, the plays that he made against Amari Cooper, he showed that he can play in the league, can be a starter in the league," Townsend said. "He has to build upon it. And he has to be ready to come to work and compete. No matter what happens out there, he can only control what he can control, and that's to go out there and work and play and make as many plays as you can.
"From what I saw of what he did at the end of the year to the opportunity he has now, he has a great opportunity to continue to make a lot of plays for this defense."
Pro Football Focus didn't necessarily agree with the notion Toliver stood out with his play. They've given him grades of just 51.4 last year and 58.1 in 2018.
Pagano was asked near the end of last season what there was yet for Toliver to gain.
"Experience. Confidence," was his answer.
He gained a little of this last year. Whether the confidence is there to continue building on his experience will determine whether he's able to keep this position he's been given.
Kevin Toliver II at a Glance
LSU CB
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 199.
Key Numbers: Toliver had 10 pass defenses in his final college season and in very limited play had two in each of his first two Bears seasons.
Chances of Starting: 2.5 on a scale of 1-5 with 5 being the most.
2020 Projection: Toliver keeps the starting spot in a tight battle but at some point in the early or mid-season Jaylon Johnson takes over the spot.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
