Chicago Bears: Five cornerback targets in the 2018 NFL Draft

Denzel Ward

Interestingly, you know who the NFL.com mock draft teams all have the Chicago Bears taking?

No, it’s not Calvin Ridley. This isn’t ESPN.

Actually, they like Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward. And while it’s still early in the process and he could fall in the teens, perhaps that’s not a crazy idea.

Ward picked up right where Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley left off last season, earning first-team All-American and All-Big Ten honors in 2018. He also posted 15 pass breakups, among the top 10 in the country.

He doesn’t have the elite size that Lattimore did coming out of college, but his athletic ability is nothing to sneeze at. Ward mixes true track speed with excellent agility and ball skills and can mirror just about anyone. On top of that, he only allowed a completion percentage of 32% in his last two seasons in Columbus.

The issue with him will be whether or not he can fit in on the outside due to his lack of elite size and strength.

He plays physically for all of that, but big receivers can box him out and body him up in the run game. And his tackling also suffers against bigger running backs.

But if the Bears like his ability enough to let him start off as a nickel corner and see if an NFL training program can help him transition outside, he could be well worth a shot.

If the Chicago Bears don’t re-sign Kyle Fuller, watch out for this pick, especially if he performs well at the Combine. Ryan Pace has a soft spot for those underdogs that have potential to be something more.