Chicago Bears: Ranking 5 free agent cornerback targets

3. Rashaan Melvin

The average Bears fan out there might find themselves thinking, “Who is this guy?” That’s perfectly fine, because the Indianapolis Colts weren’t exactly the center of attention for football fans a year ago.

Rashaan Melvin finished 2017 as a sneaky-good cornerback for Indy. While the defense as a whole was poor, Melvin was not a reason for that whatsoever. It took a little while for his career to take off, but Melvin has established himself as an above average corner.

At 28 years old, Melvin spent his first three years with the Baltimore Ravens and New England Patriots. The last two have been spent with the Colts, and it’s safe to say that his most recent change of scenery did him some good.

In his last two seasons, Melvin has totaled 20 passes defended, three interceptions and two forced fumbles.

Looking at the above graphic tells me one thing: Melvin looks to deny his man the ball more often than most. Being able to either break up a pass or intercept it on nearly a quarter of occasions is an astounding stat.

What tells me even more, though, is the fact that Indianapolis was second to last in the NFL in sacks a year ago, but 17th in overall defense. If their front seven couldn’t get to the quarterback consistently, but the defense finished in the middle of the pack, that’s absolutely a credit to Melvin among a couple of his teammates.

If the Bears want a cornerback who prides himself on denying his man the ball above all else, Melvin would be a phenomenal fit. Is he a ball hawk? Not necessarily. But, he will do everything in his power to ensure he is not victim of a completion.