Bear Digest

Plenty of Safety Opportunities for Bears to Ponder at Scouting Combine

One of the greatest need areas for the Bears is safety and here are some of the options they'll want to look at when the combine begins next week in Indianapolis.
Gene Chamberlain|
Washington State QB Zevi Eckhaus is wrapped up by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a potential first-round pick.
Washington State QB Zevi Eckhaus is wrapped up by Toledo Rockets safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, a potential first-round pick. | James Snook-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

Only one safety was selected in Round 1 of the last three drafts and actually not very many over the course of the first two days in any of those drafts.

That's why all the hype over Ohio State's Caleb Downs seems far too intense. He's not an edge rusher, a quarterback, a wide receiver or even a cornerback or defensive tackle. It's not a position people take early in the draft, especially Bears GM Ryan Poles.

People overrate the importance of that position in relation to others and players get elevated in the eyes of many before the process begins.

Nevertheless, Downs is regarded as far too talented to be around when the Bears pick, anyway.

It's how, in one major mock draft, Oregon's Dillon Thieneman got chosen in Round 1 for the Bears at 25, and in another he was a Bears pick at No. 57. The 57 seems a little more realistic.

Pro Football Focus’ Trevor Sikkema sees plenty of good safeties in this draft but grades only three among the top 50 players and has seven ranked in its second 100. That's where most safeties will wind up going is Day 3. Last year 13 went then and seven the first two days.

This is why the Bears may not seem urgently transfixed on the position earlier in the draft. In a year when all projections say top defensive tackles and ends are plentiful and the Bears drastically need ends and tackles, who in the world would think about a safety first?

The Bears could afford to think about it after the first round without a problem, and here’s who they could find worth looking at closely in next week's NFL Scouting Combine.

Emmanuel McNeil-Warren, Toledo

The second highest-graded safety last year by PFF and rated No. 2 safety in the draft by Mel Kiper, he is 6-2, 202 and did most of his playing in 2025 from within the box as a classical strong safety rather than back in coverage. During his career, he forced nine fumbles and made five interceptions. NFL.com's Lance Zierlein views him as a potential Bears pick in Round 1 but has him going 26th in his mock to Buffalo, instead.

A.J. Haulcy, LSU

At 222 pounds, the 6-footer may be asked to lose a little weight at the next level to pick up speed. LSU was his third team (New Mexico, Houston) in four years and he has 10 interceptions to go with 19 pass breakups. PFF's Trevor Sikkema grades him 36th overall, so an early second-rounder. Kiper isn't so convinced as he has Haulcy ranked ninth best safety.

Rod Moore, Michigan

Made seven career interceptions and eight pass breakups with 147 tackles. Graded 50th overall by Sikkema, he needs a good 40 time to help convince everyone he is at his 2021-23 level. He missed 2024 due to an offseason torn ACL and then wasn't full strength last year. There are some who think he could run 4.4 in the 40 and this would be huge.

Dillon Thieneman, Oregon

Highly productive 6-foot, 205-pounder who played for only three college seasons, the first two at Purdue. He had 10 interceptions and 14 pass breakups. PFF grades him a second-rounder at 39th overall on its big board while Kiper ranks him the fourth-best safety.

Kamari Ramsey, USC

A 6-foot, 199-pounder who made two college interceptions while breaking up 11 passes with two forced fumbles. He spent two seasons with UCLA before transferring to their rivals. Kiper ranks him sixth-best safety in the draft, and scouts see him more as a deep safety type than in the box.

Earl Little, Florida St.

Played two years at Alabama and then went to the Seminoles, finishing with all four of his college interceptions in his final season. A 6-1, 193-pounder, he was graded 83rd by Sikkema.

Zakee Wheatley, Penn State

Made six interceptions with two forced fumbles and six pass breakups over five years with Penn State. Almost split time evenly in his senior year between playing in the box and deep but prior to that had been largely a 6-2, 202-pound deep safety. Graded 97th or the end of the third round by PFF's Sikkema.

Kyle Louis, Pitt

The third overall safety on Kiper's big board, at 6-1, 220, some might see him as more of a linebacker but he'd be a traditional strong safety. Made seven sacks in 2024, 10 for his career, and offers another dimension in this regard. Intercepted six passes wit two forced fumbles.

Genesis Smith, Arizona

A 6-2, 204-pound safety who had a 2-1 split in deep safety snaps to box snaps. He made five interceptions and four forced fumbles in three seasons and 37 games. Rated No. 100 on the PFF draft big board.

Bud Clark, TCU

No. 5 on Kiper's charts after a big Senior Bowl week, and they'll be watching him closely at the combine for speed. At 6-1, 185, he made 15 interceptions in six seasons of games.

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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.