Bear Digest

Bears 30 visit on final day underscores perceived one-sided emphasis

The so-called "30 visits" ended Wednesday with cornerback Jordan Hancock visiting the Bears, a reported rarity in terms of the side of the football.
Gene Chamberlain|
Cornerback Jordan Hancock lines up during a quarterfinal game against Oregon.
Cornerback Jordan Hancock lines up during a quarterfinal game against Oregon. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

On the final day of 30 visits for prospects, NFL.com's Ian Rapoport reported the Bears brought in Ohio State defensive back Jordan Hancock to Halas Hall.

Those who follow such things on a close basis could be heard giving out a collective cry of: "At last!"

There's two reasons for this kind of comment.

One is in the lack of numbers reported overall for these visits, but more so it's on one side of the ball. Either it's intentional or the Bears really are focusing greatly on the offensive side for this draft, provided 30 visits dictate who a team drafts.

The Bears have only had four defensive players with confirmed 30 visits through outside sources.

Hancock is a 6-foot, 195-pound cornerback who is regarded by NFL.com's Lance Zierlein as a fifth- or sixth-round option. Pro Football Focus ranks him 146th on its big board. He had three career interceptions and 14 pass breakups for the Buckeyes.

He also had a budding reputation for stripping the football with four forced fumbles, two over each of the last two seasons.

The other three visits to be reported defensively are Tennessee defensive tackle Omarr Norman-Lott, Texas A&M edge rusher Shemar Stewart and linebacker Nick Martin from Oklahoma State. Stewart and Norman-Lott are regarded as Day 1 or 2 picks while Martin might be a Day 3 type or even UDFA.

They also had a visit with Texas cornerback Jahdae Barron and safety Andrew Mukuba, according to Sportskeeda's Tony Pauline, but those visits appear to have been campus talks after the pro day because they were reported as occurring the same day with two others teams' visits right after the pro day.

Even if they really are focusing on offensive players, it doesn't make sense to have so few defensive players come to Halas Hall.

As for obvious attempts to cover up these, it's more than enough to make anyone curious but such clandestine operations are never actually bad for the draft.

Free agency focus

The Bears did make moves in free agency to solidify the defensive front with their signings of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. They still seem to be short one edge rusher or perhaps they see it as being short a defensive lineman because it could be an interior player.

Norman-Lott would be an asset as an explosive 3-technique pass rusher.

If they drafted Norman Lott, they would be getting an undersized tackle at 6-foot-2, 291 pounds but extremely quick. They would be adding a player capable of taking over after Jarrett retires but they also would fuel discussion defensive tackle Gervon Dexter is going to take more snaps at defensive end. He lined up last over a tackle or outside the tackle 79 of his 432 snaps, a figure not really talked about a lot but an indication even last year's coaching staff saw his potential on the edge.

Defensive interior surplus

The roster already has numerous defensive tackles: Andrew Billings, Jonathan Ford, Chris Williams along with Jarrett.

Odeyingbo, in the past with the Colts, also moved inside at times. He line up inside to rush 64 ot of 742 defensive snaps. 

Why the Bears would need yet another defensive tackle in the 290-pound range like Jarrett only seems like so much overkill and an actual edge seems more critical.

On the edge, the Bears have bodies but only Montez Sweat and Odeyingbo have proven anything in the league. Dominique Robinson, Daniel Hardy and Austin Booker are in the potential category.

Whatever the reason for this lack of defensive reporting in 30 visits, the end result has to be there are more players than have become public who've talked with the Bears about becoming an edge rusher, if not safeties or other spots.

At draft time, fortifying the defense should never rest.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.