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2017 NFL Draft Daily Chicago Bears Target: Boston College Safety John Johnson

By Dan Schmelzer

Mar 6, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston College defensive back John Johnson goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 6, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Boston College defensive back John Johnson goes through workout drills during the 2017 NFL Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports /
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Another 2017 NFL Draft target for the Chicago Bears. Today, we look at athletic Boston College defensive back John Johnson.

The Chicago Bears hold the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. We have seen a lot of players mocked to the Bears at number three over the months. Quarterbacks, defensive linemen, safeties, cornerbacks and on and on and on. Jamal Adams is commonly considered to be one of their best choices as number three.

Jamal Adams is commonly considered to be one of their best choices as number three. Adams is an incredible player who would immediately make a huge impact on the Bears defense. However, do they really need to take a safety that high? Between Quintin Demps and Adrian Amos, the Bears have a solid starting duo at the position. Adams would be an upgrade over either player, but I would rather see them take a franchise quarterback or pass rusher.

It may not be a sure-fire first round need, but safety is still a position of need for the Bears. However, instead of taking Adams right away, waiting to fill the void on the back-end may be a better call. John Johnson is an athletic play-making safety who would make a ton of sense for Chicago in the later rounds.

Johnson is a converted cornerback who shows great coverage skills on the back-end. He can play the deep middle of the field and also has the man-to-man skills to play the slot. Johnson’s athleticism stands out on tape as he will range from sideline-to-sideline and make many plays on jump balls.

Next: Bears: Logical NFL Draft Targets at Each Position

At the combine, Johnson put up an impressive 37-inch vertical leap, which was the fourth highest jump at the safety position. His 6.72-second three-cone drill (second-fastest for a safety) and 4.8 20-yard shuttle (fourth-fastest) showed off his impressive short-area quickness.

Johnson is an extremely quick and athletic safety prospect who has top-notch coverage skills. the Bears have a lot of needs in the secondary and Johnson can help fill them as a later-round selection. This is a specific prospect who I would like to see the Bears land in the 2017 NFL Draft.

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