Chicago Bears mock draft: Four-round picks
Artie Burns (6-foot-0, 193 pounds), CB, Miami
This kid is going to turn heads if he is given a chance in the NFL. He has world-class speed, participating in track as well as football.
Running track was a good-thing/bad-thing for Burns. It developed his incredible speed, but with practices in the offseason, it stunted his growth as a football player.
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The result of being a two-sport athlete is that Burns is really raw. He has the skills to be a good corner, has a long build and has a good combination of speed and size. He has the ability to stay with any receiver but needs to clean up his technique.
Burns has a nose for the ball. In 2015, he had six interceptions, even though he was playing in a cornerback rotation.
Where Burns gets drafted will be interesting. He has been projected to go anywhere from the second to the fifth round. It depends on how teams feel about his coachability.
Burns would be getting some great help from Tracy Porter. Porter helped Kyle Fuller get on track after he started the 2015 season struggling out of the gate. Porter is getting up in age, so Burns could ease in and eventually be ready to take his place when the time comes.
Burns had to declare early due to his mother’s death. His father has been incarcerated, so he had to take care of his little brothers as well as keep up his schedule.
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Whoever drafts Burns will be getting a good player on the field and a great person off it. Miami has a history of sending excellent professionals to the NFL, and Artie Burns could be another one on that list.