Chicago Bears Daily 2017 NFL Draft Prospect: LSU S Jamal Adams

The Chicago Bears are on a constant search for good safety help. In Jamal Adams, they may have their answer long-term, and a great leader to help bring the storied franchise from its doldrums.

It seems that the Chicago Bears draft a safety every year. They constantly look for a combination to help the secondary long-term. They have Adrian Amos as half the answer. If they draft Jamal Adams they may have the full answer settled.

Adams was born to be a football player. At 6-foot-1 and 213 pounds, he has great size. Also, he has the football genes — his father, George Adams, played running back on the New York Giants’ Super Bowl-winning 1986 squad.

If you want to see the old Chicago Bears smash-mouth defense return, then Adams is the one to help do that. He is a punishing hitter, always running downhill to get to the ball carrier. HIs tackling technique is exquisite. He gets in perfect position and is always in balance when delivering a hit. When he gets to the ball carrier, he blows him up.

Adams is effective both against the run and the pass. He is a very intelligent player who recognizes trick plays or fakes quickly. He has a team-first attitude. Even if he doesn’t get in on a tackle, if he forces a ball carrier inside so someone else makes the play, he feels he did his job.

Additionally, Adams’ character and leadership skills set him apart from other players. The people involved in the LSU program swear he is the best leader the team ever had. He is a natural-born leader, and the moment he steps into a professional locker room, he’ll make his presence felt. He leads not only by words but also by action.

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LSU has a tremendous secondary. Even so, Adams found himself on the field for significant playing time on Day 1 of his career. He recorded 66 tackles, five passes defended, and 10 special teams tackles on his way to being a Freshman All American. He became a starter in his sophomore season. For his career, he recorded 209 tackles (18 for loss), 5 interceptions, and 2 sacks. That is production.

Adams draws comparisons to Tyrann Mathieu and Landon Collins, two excellent players in the NFL. He is bigger than Mathieu and faster than Collins, so you get a combination of the best of those two.

NFL.com draft analyst Daniel Jeremiah is high on Adams. He ranks him fourth in his top 50 prospects list for this year’s draft.

"Adams has ideal size, versatility, and explosiveness for the position. He lines up as both the high safety and in the box. Against the pass, he is at his best roaming underneath or matching up in the slot. He can range and make plays from the deep middle, but he’s more valuable closer to the line of scrimmage. He doesn’t have a lot of ball production but he provides a physical presence and delivers huge hits on opposing pass-catchers. He is at his best in run support. He is quick to key and explode to the alley. With outstanding range against the run, he makes a lot of plays from the opposite hash. He is a dynamic athlete, and I’ve been told his intangibles are off the charts. He will be a tone-setter for an NFL defense, and he’s ready to play right away."

Some say drafting a safety in the top-five is too early, but Adams is the exception to that rule. He is a special player that the Chicago Bears craved for decades. While a healthy Jonathan Allen is the popular pick, drafting Jamal Adams in the first round would solve their safety question for a decade. Fans won’t mind seeing Adams making himself at home at Soldier Field.

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