Chicago Bears: Five cornerback targets in the 2018 NFL Draft

How will the Chicago Bears address the uncertainty in their cornerback room in the 2018 NFL Draft?

Well, now that the Super Bowl is out of the way, Chicago Bears fans can start looking forward to how the Bears can improve those 99-1 Super Bowls for 2019.

Hey, for perspective, the Philadelphia Eagles started last season somewhere from 40-1 to 50-1. The New England Patriots, on the other hand, were 3-1. You never know what could happen, especially with this reformed coaching staff and image.

But back to the Bears.

We already know that the team will have its eye on several high-priced free agent targets, like Jarvis Landry, and will look to potential re-sign veterans like Kyle Fuller.

In the end, though, it’s all about building through the draft, and the 2018 NFL Draft remains one of the Bears’ top priorities. And it should because they still have a ton of needs to fill.

More from Chicago Bears

• Chicago Bears quietly compiling list of head coaching candidates
• Next Chicago Bears starting quarterback makes Bowl Game decision
• Chicago Bears appear in the hunt while on track for the first pick
• Chicago Bears: They are who we thought they were
• Chicago Bears Rumors: Kevin Warren to oversee football operations

One of them, regardless of what happens with Fuller, is at cornerback. As such, we should expect the Chicago Bears to take at least one in April’s draft.

The question, as always, is where that cornerback will be taken. As it turns out, there are options both early on and in the middle rounds that the Bears could consider.

And given the amount of impact shutdown corners like Jalen Ramsey and Marshon Lattimore have had on their new teams, we can’t discount the idea that the Chicago Bears might not look for a stud corner at No. 8 overall. Therefore, some of the top cornerback prospects in the draft will be on this list.

Here are a few cornerbacks the Chicago Bears could, and should, have their eye on in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Minkah Fitzpatrick

Imagine a scenario in which, as several draft pundits are projecting, four quarterbacks go within the first six picks of the 2018 NFL Draft. Given the intrigue around Baker Mayfield and Josh Allen, that very well could happen.

And then assume that, as most expect, Bradley Chubb goes third overall to the Indianapolis Colts and Saquon Barkley ends up with the Cleveland Browns with the No. 4 pick or the running back-needy Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 7 overall.

What’s to say that Fitzpatrick, one of the best players in this draft, period, can’t somehow make it to the Chicago Bears in the eighth slot?

Don’t at all assume that this can’t happen.

All that would need to happen is for someone like Quenton Nelson or Connor Williams to sneak their way into the picture for Fitzpatrick to slip to the Bears.

And if that happens, it doesn’t matter who else is on the board. Ryan Pace should be sprinting to Roger Goodell with Fitzpatrick’s name on a card.

While Fitzpatrick’s best NFL position may actually be safety, there’s no reason not to look into his versatility at corner, especially to match up with bigger, stronger receivers. And if you’re into positional versatility, just think of Fitzpatrick as a new version of Tyrann Mathieu or Budda Baker.

Bottom line: whether you intend to play him as a straight-up outside corner or not, you can find someplace for him to make an impact on the field. There’s no question about that. If he’s available, passing on him would be a tough move.

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.

Josh Jackson

As long as we’re talking about cornerbacks the Chicago Bears could take in the first round of the draft, why not talk about arguably the best cover corner in the draft?

That would be Iowa’s Jackson, who stood out repeatedly with his ridiculous ball skills this season.

Just generally, throwing the ball near him did not go well for opponents this season. Jackson defended 27 passes (!), including eight interceptions. In the process, he allowed a catch only 41.3% of the time and made a play on 25.7% of his targets.

That’s…really good.

He has the size you want at 6’2″ and a little over 190 pounds and should make people happy at the NFL Combine with his length. He plays the ball instead of just his man, and the instincts he shows to get to the football demonstrate that.

What’s not to like?

Well, for one thing, he only has 14 career starts (tell me where you’ve heard that before). He was also playing against guys from North Texas a lot of the time, though he also proved he could ball against big-time opponents.

And because he plays with ball-hawking instincts, he has a tendency to play a bit over-aggressively and fall for double moves.

However, one can’t help but feel as though Ed Donatell can certainly work with a guy like that.

Jackson’s just a playmaker, through and through, whatever the concerns about his inexperience. And you know that inexperience has never stopped Pace from taking a chance on a guy if he likes him.

I don’t know if I envision Jackson going to the Chicago Bears at No. 8 overall with all the top talent pushing into the top 10 (which means that Pace will take him there, I’m sure). But if they were to trade down into the middle of the first round, that’s a strong possibility.

Tarvarus McFadden

If the Chicago Bears go with a wide receiver or edge rusher in the first round, expect cornerbacks to remain in play in the second round.

With the Bears holding the seventh pick in the second round, McFadden could be an intriguing target.

Vic Fangio loves him some big, tall cornerbacks that can play man-to-man defense, and the Florida State product McFadden can do just that. Checking in at 6’2” and about 200 pounds, McFadden has ideal size and length for that role.

Plus, he has the speed and ball skills both to run with receivers and make plays when he gets to the football.

The knock on him, for now, is that he’s raw as a press corner at the moment, relying largely on his athletic ability to win.

Scouts have critiqued his ability to disrupt routes at the line of scrimmage, particularly his need to be more physical when up in press coverage. Plus, not unlike Kyle Fuller, he has a tendency to lose his positioning and allow receivers too much separation.

That said, his ceiling, at least according to some, rivals that of Minnesota Vikings shutdown cornerback Xavier Rhodes, a former Seminole himself. And that’s some really good company to keep.

If the Bears can grab a player like that in the second round of the draft, they’d better strongly consider it. And whether Fuller returns or not, the Bears might have a player with the potential to truly dominate outside for years to come.

Anthony Averett

Grabbing an Alabama defensive back worked out really well for the Chicago Bears last year, with Eddie Jackson starting all 16 games and proving a capable NFL starter from the get-go.

Maybe the Bears won’t mind going to the well again.

Averett actually did the reverse career transition to what Jackson did, switching from safety to corner at Alabama. And though he had to wait a bit to get on the field, he started at corner his junior and senior seasons.

https://twitter.com/AlabamaDieHards/status/953410259221131265

Unlike Fitzpatrick, he doesn’t overwhelm opponents with his athleticism and skill. That said, he’s plenty athletic enough to run with and mirror receivers. And similarly to Fuller, he comes quickly downhill for tackles even when he gives up completions.

Still, he needs a bit of seasoning before he can truly succeed in the NFL.

Like Ward, he has to hit the weight room, coming in at just about 185 pounds. Plus, he doesn’t always show the best coverage instincts despite his more-than-adequate athletic ability. Sound like a certain free agent cornerback the Chicago Bears are trying to re-sign who just had a career year?

Next: EDGE/LB Tremaine Edmunds draft profile

As such, Averett will come in as a Day 2 or Day 3 prospect, perhaps filling in a need at corner once others have been filled. And though he needs some work, the Chicago Bears could do far worse after the first round.