The One Position That Could Spark a Chicago Bears First-Round Shocker

The Bears still have a few glaring weaknesses on the defensive side of the ball. They have to fund another starting safety opposite Coby Bryant, and must add competition to both the interior and edge of their defensive line.

However, there's one position where I think they could potentially ignore those weaknesses in round one: Cornerback.

The Bears don't have a glaring weakness at corner, but their depth would really be tested if Jaylon Johnson or Kyler Gordon were to go down (and the latter has yet to prove that he can stay healthy over the course of a full season). They signed Cam Lewis to a two-year, $6 million deal to theoretically be his backup in the slot, but they still have paper-thin depth on the perimeter.

In fact, their depth might be tested even if they both manage to stay healthy. They no longer have Nahshon Wright, as he signed a one-year deal with the Jets this offseason. While he was a complete unknown entering the year, he wound up being one of the most pleasant surprises on the defensive side of the ball, playing 97% of the snaps.

Who knows how much trust they have in Tyrique Stevenson, who relinquished his starting job to Wright. Even if they're holding out hope for a bounce-back season in that regard, he's entering a contract year, himself. He played great as a rookie in 2023, but hasn't done nearly enough to warrant an extension since that point.

Terell Smith is back, and he showed promise over his first two seasons. However, putting him into the "complete unknown" category would be fair. He fits the size profile that Dennis Allen usually likes from his cover men, but has only six career starts and is coming off a torn patellar tendon that he suffered last preseason. He's also entering a contract year.

Zah Frazier is also a complete unknown after missing his entire rookie season. The 2024 fifth-round pick has promise, and Al Harris showed a clear interest in him, but they can't count on him as anything other than a lottery ticket in 2026.

Oh yeah, that's not to mention that Jaylon Johnson didn't look like himself last season. They don't know for certain whether it's a sign of an impending decline (the cornerback position tends to get hit harder by Father Time quicker than any other outside running back) or whether it's due to the core muscle surgery he had in September. I lean the latter, but I wouldn't fault them for prioritizing insurance. They're paying him too much money (and can get out of his contract next offseason if necessary) to take the risk.

While I wouldn't love the idea of drafting a corner in the first round (although I wouldn't mind them going that route on day two), I could definitely see it happening.

Which cover men would make sense for Chicago?

LSU corner Mansoor Delane ran a 4.38 40-yard dash at his Pro Day today. That's huge for him, as the long speed was the only remaining question about him. He'll probably be long gone by pick 25.

After Delane, University of Tennessee corners Jermod McCoy and Colton Hood are the two names to keep an eye on for Chicago. I could see a scenario where the Bears pull the trigger on either of them if they're on the board at pick 25.

Both McCoy and Hood fit the billing of a Dennis Allen press-man cornerback. McCoy would probably be an easy top-half of the first-round guy if he didn't miss last season with an ACL tear. Meanwhile, Hood might not be as physically gifted (although he ran better than expected at the combine with a 4.44-second 40-yard dash time), but that's not exactly a fair comparison. He's a physical corner that isn't afraid to get dirty in run support. He'd be a quality complement opposite Johnson.

As for other potential surprises, some think they could target a left tackle or even a receiver in the first round. While I think either could be on their to-do list for later in the draft (although I really think they might be content with the left tackle competition), I don't see that being the move in the first. I can't say I'd agree with those outcomes under virtually any circumstance.

You might say, "Well, did you expect them to draft Colston Loveland last year, did you?" No, I didn't. That's because I expected them to draft Tyler Warren, though. Not because I didn't expect them to draft a TE.

As for last year's second-round pick of Luther Burden III (which some also saw as a major surprise), he was near the top of my wish list before day two started. Once Quinshon Judkins and TreyVeyon Henderson were plucked off the board, Burden was the next man up for me. They might not have had a huge hole at pass-catcher, but drafting someone with his talent at that point in the draft was a steal.

Again, I wouldn't love them drafting a corner in the first. I'd prefer they address the trenches or draft one of the top three safeties in the class. However, I do think they will go with the BPA approach, and I wouldn't be surprised if a corner is at the top of their board when all is said and done.