Chicago Bears Draft: Top options at safety for each round

Round 4 Favorite: Jaquan Johnson, Miami

When you talk about the culture of the Chicago Bears locker room, you have to mention guys like Kyle Long and Akiem Hicks, who have the personality but also strong leadership qualities. The locker room wouldn’t be what it is without leaders like those two, as well as the fun-loving characters around them.

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Jaquan Johnson would fit right in.

At Miami, he was “the” guy on defense. Not only did he receive the label “captain,” he played like it. He walked the walk. The kid is as aggressive a safety as you’ll find in this class. He’s hard-hitting and will put you down if he gets his shot. Each of the last two seasons, Johnson has finished with over 90 tackles and has a combined six interceptions.

One of the biggest knocks on him is his 5-foot-10 frame and his lack of true speed. With the way the Bears defense is set up, he’d play more of a strong safety and possessing only average speed wouldn’t be a huge deal. His wherewithal and football IQ, matched by his sheer will on the football field, would be more than enough to play box safety as a pro.

Johnson is a leader and plays the game hard. That’s the kind of player I want on my team.