Bear Digest

Fifth-rounder Zah Frazier clocks in as fastest Bears cornerback ever

Height, arm length and speed make the fifth-round pick from Texas-San Antonio a unique player in Bears draft history.
Gene Chamberlain|
Zah Frazier of Texas-San Antonio tries breaking up a pass intended for Tulane's Chris Brazzell II.
Zah Frazier of Texas-San Antonio tries breaking up a pass intended for Tulane's Chris Brazzell II. | Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears


Chicago Bears top combine 40 times

Since electronic timing began in 1999

1. WR Velus Jones Jr. 2022 4.31
2. WR Johnny Knox 2009 4.34
3. WR Kevin White 2015 4.35
4. CB Zah Frazier 2025 4.36
5. WR Mark Bradley 2005 4.37
6. WR Darnell Mooney 2000 4.38
7. CB Zack Bowman 2008 4.39
7. RB Garett Wolfe 2007 4.39
7. WR John Capel 2001 4.39*
*Failed to make team

-Sources: Pro Football Reference, NFL.com

If not for Zah Frazier's delayed route to the NFL from Southern Illinois to Coffeyville Community College and then Texas-San Antonio, it would be difficult to understand how he wound up going to the Bears in Round 5 of the draft.

In fact, with his physical credentials, it's almost shocking he didn't go on Day 1 or 2 of the draft anyway.

The first of those strengths is Frazier's obvious speed. 

No drafted Bears cornerback has ever run a faster combine time than Frazier since they started using electronic timing in 1999, and only three Bears players have ever run it faster, including old records back to 1986 from before electronic timing.

Frazier ran 4.36 seconds and only wide receivers Velus Jones Jr. (4.31 2022), Johnny Knox (4.34, 2009) and Kevin White (4.35, 2015) ran faster for the Bears. Bears cornerback Tim Jennings ran faster (4.32), but wasn't drafted by Chicago.

Another renowned Bears cornerback who became a wide receiver didn't even run as fast at the combine as Frazier. That was Devin Hester, who was clocked officially at the combine in 4.41 seconds in 2006.

The only other drafted Bears cornerback who ran sub-4.4 in the 40 was Zack Bowman, with a 4.39 in 2008. Bowman played six years and picked off 10 passes with 23 total starts in 73 total games.

His 40 time ranked top 6% for cornerbacks in combine history according to Mockdraftable.com.

More might be expected of Frazier, mainly because of his other outstanding quality. That's his height. Frazier is the tallest cornerback the Bears have drafted since the draft went to seven rounds in 1993. He's even taller at 6-foot-3 than 6-2 Charles Tillman.

In fact, his height put him in the top 4% of cornerbacks at all combines and a factor even bigger is his arm length. Frazier has arms that are 32-7/8 inches, which is top 10% for all cornerbacks in combine history. His wingspan of 80 1/8 inches is top 5% for the combine.

With these features, it's easy to see why Bears secondary coach Al Harris was asking to have him drafted and why defensive coordinator Dennis Allen would see him as a fit.

"Al was fired up for that one," Bears GM Ryan Poles said.

Allen and Poles both said prior to the draft they needed speed.

"Guys who are long and who can run," Bears director of player personnel Trey Koziol said of Allen's preferences. "He coached in New Orleans, very (man-to-man) press-heavy scheme. Those guys have to be comfortable playing out on an island.

"When you talk about the height and the length in addition to the speed and the ability to take the ball away."


NFL.com's Lance Zierlein broke down Frazier's strengths before the draft as: "Burst stride and wingspan bring on ball production ... has the tools to become a more consistent hindrance in press coverage."

Frazier went to Southern Illinois first, then went to Coffeyville and in 2022 went to UTSA. He played only 29 games at UTSA and therein lies his great weakness. Even though he will be 25 when the season begins, he just hasn't played enough football against top-level college talent or even enough football, period.

It's like Poles said, this is a player they need to develop. But at 25 years old it better not take long.

"I got to give the two scouts that went in there, (Southwest area scout) Dave Dudeck and (national scout) John Syty, a lot of credit," Koziol said. The (comparison) that people are always going to throw out there is going to be (Seahawks cornerback) Riq Woolen. It was kind of a similar case coming out of there (UTSA).

"Different players, but I think for us when you get to see those guys play, UTSA has put out NFL talent. So I wouldn't consider them really a smaller school."

Frazier did mention one other strength of his and that's the attitude he has that helped him make six interceptions last year.

"My DB coach said be fearless—I think that's going to come with me everywhere I go, just being fearless," Frazier said. "Don't worry about the next play. Just always worry about the play that's in front of you. Handle that first and then then focus on the next play when it comes.

"But when a ball is in the air, you’ve got to just be fearless and that's something that I’ve done. That's all I think about it. I would say that's one of my things. Fearless.”

It's not something gauged by a stopwatch or tape measure but it has taken many a player at any position farther than just about anything else.

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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.