Chicago Bears: Sleeper NFL Draft prospects at cornerback
By Ryan Heckman
Saivion Smith, Alabama
Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Alabama defensive backs are typically worth drafting. Nick Saban has a way with finding gems back in the secondary, and Saivion Smith might just pan out to be one of those later-round steals.
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At 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, Smith has the perfect size you’d like to see out of an NFL cornerback. He is aggressive in both closing on receivers and helping out in the run game, which is key for a corner on such a tenacious defense like the Bears. Per NFL.com analyst Lance Zierlein, Smith led Alabama’s defense with 60 stops overall — that’s impressive coming from a corner.
Where he lacks a bit is in his overall speed and athleticism. That can be disguised if surrounded by the right kind of talent, and also with great footwork. Again, like many others on this list, he’d benefit greatly under a coach like Pagano, who has a way with defensive backs.
Smith has played for a couple of schools over his college career, and has even been benched at one point. He’s had a longer road than most Alabama defensive backs, but taking the road less traveled may be just what he needed. Smith has a lot of growth needed still, but his progress would absolutely be accelerated by playing with the guys on this Bears defense.