Chicago Bears: 5 solidified positions going into 2018 NFL Draft

Cornerback

I am not saying the Bears shouldn’t draft a cornerback at all, but it’s going to be hard to argue for getting one on either Thursday or Friday. After Pace played the Kyle Fuller situation perfectly, and brought him back for less than the franchise tag, the Bears knew their next move.

Prince Amukamara was then re-signed, and the Bears had their starting corners back in place from a year ago. Everyone knows just how good Fuller was in 2017, but do not overlook the job that Amukamara did in his spot.

Amukamara was one of the best corners in all of the NFL when it counted most — the fourth quarter. In early November last season, Pro Football Focus noted that Amukamara had not yet given up a single reception in the fourth quarter on 50 total targets.

While Fuller was great, Amukamara was very good also. It is hard to find one solid cornerback sometimes, let alone two. The Bears boast a tandem with these two that I believe should be looked at as a top-5-to-10 tandem in all of football.

Fuller’s improvement in 2017 came mostly from his shift to being a more aggressive player overall. He contested a large amount of passes and was one of the very best when it came to playing the deep ball.

In 2017, Fuller entered his last year on his rookie contract after the Bears failed to pick up his option. Teams took notice, targeting him more than any other cornerback in the NFL. Fuller was targeted 119 times last season and only gave up two touchdowns all year.

So, while many have differing opinions on Fuller and Amukamara, the stats don’t lie. Pace did his defense a favor by keeping his secondary intact, and yet another year under Fangio should launch these young guys into borderline elite conversation.