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Chicago Bears: Seven-Round 2017 NFL Mock Draft for Start of April

By Dan Schmelzer

Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 9, 2017; Tampa, FL, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) throws the ball against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the 2017 College Football Playoff National Championship Game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Marcus Williams
Nov 28, 2015; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Utes defensive back Marcus Williams (20) carries the ball in front of Colorado Buffaloes defensive back Ahkello Witherspoon (23) during the first half at Rice-Eccles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports /

The Chicago Bears have a strong defensive front seven. They are not loaded with elite talent up front, but guys like Leonard Floyd, Akiem Hicks and Jerrell Freeman lead an impressive young group on front seven defenders. That being said, their secondary is a mess.

The Bears have done a nice job of adding veteran free agents to their secondary mix this off season. Cornerbacks Marcus Cooper and Prince Amukamara and safety Quintin Demps were all strong additions who should be able to make an immediate impact. That being said, they still need defensive back help.

Marcus Williams is an impressive free safety prospect who has a ton of upside at the next level. Williams is a strong ball hawk on the back-end, showing the consistent ability to disrupt deep passes. Williams does a nice job of covering a lot of ground and has fantastic natural ball skills.

He is also a freak athlete who can win jump ball situations. Williams measured in at 6-1, 202 pounds at the combine. Williams jumped a ridiculous 43.5 inches in the vertical leap at the combine. That was the second-best vertical of any prospect at the combine, trailing only Obi Melifonwu‘s 44 inches.

Williams also put up an impressive 10-foot, nine-inches in the broad jump and ran a 6.85-second three-cone drill.

Simply put, Williams is a freak athlete with a ton of natural coverage ability on the back-end. He is the kind of deep safety who can cover up a lot of weaknesses in a defense. Williams could come in and immediately be a strong starting deep safety for the Chicago Bears. Pairing him with Demps would give the Bears an extremely improved safety duo for 2017.

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