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2017 NFL Draft daily Chicago Bears target: St. Francis safety Lorenzo Jerome

By Carlos Nazario

Jan 28, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad safety Lorenzo Jerome of Saint Francis (PA) (22) returns an interception against South squad fullback Freddie Stevenson of Florida State (43) and running back Jamaal Williams of Brigham Young (21) during the fourth quarter at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 28, 2017; Mobile, AL, USA; North squad safety Lorenzo Jerome of Saint Francis (PA) (22) returns an interception against South squad fullback Freddie Stevenson of Florida State (43) and running back Jamaal Williams of Brigham Young (21) during the fourth quarter at Ladd-Peebles Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports /
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In our series looking at possible Chicago Bears 2017 NFL Draft targets, we take a look at St Francis (PA) safety Lorenzo Jerome.

One of the areas the Chicago Bears need help in the 2017 NFL Draft is at safety. For more than a decade, the team tried to find one who could provide stability there for the long-term. They seem to have a good one at one safety in Adrian Amos, but they still need some depth.

The hot talk at the moment has the Bears taking Jamal Adams with the third overall pick. Picking a safety that high may be something the team isn’t ready to do, even if the player is as special as Adams. They can still get Adams, but the need for depth is still there.

That’s where St. Francis (PA) safety Lorenzo Jerome can help.

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Jerome is from a small school but he plays big. He was a four-year starter, and was an All-Northeast Conference selection every year. In his senior season, he was a first-team FCS All-American. That earned him an invitation to the Senior Bowl, where he had an excellent week of practice and grabbed two interceptions in the game.

In 2016, Jerome recorded 59 tackles (5.5 for loss), 11 pass breakups, and 6 interceptions. In fact, he had 18 interceptions in his career. As everyone saw over the past several seasons, forcing turnovers was a problem for the Bears defense.

As you can see in these videos, Jerome’s pre-snap reads are elite level. He diagnoses plays quickly and has the closing speed to get anywhere on the field and make the play. You can put him in the slot, and if he senses that the ball is coming his way, he’ll overlap.

At 5-foot-10, Jerome isn’t the tallest defensive back, but he still packs a punch when he tackles. He uses great wrap-up technique and gets his man down. In addition, he has a second gear to get to the ball. His great vision can be utilized on special teams, where he returned a kick for a touchdown in 2016.

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I really like Jerome. He may come from a small school but he doesn’t play like it. He doesn’t shy away from anything and puts in the work to improve. Also, he plays with a passion needed on the Bears’ secondary. He’d make an excellent pickup for the Bears to add depth, and he may become a starter eventually.

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