Chicago Bears Draft: Top options at safety for each round

Round 7 Favorite: Malik Gant, Marshall

Here we are, yet again, talking about a program coming from a non-Power 5 conference that might catch the eye of Ryan Pace. These are some of the more interesting prospects for Bears fans, because Pace consistently gambles on them and has won big time in the past.

Malik Gant is a former walk-on who plays every down as though he’s still earning his time on the field. Gant is a decent athlete, running his 40-yard dash in 4.63 seconds, putting up 17 reps on the bench press and boasting a 34.5-inch vertical jump.

In 2017 and 2018, Gant was a tackling machine, finishing with 100 and 95, respectively. He also came up with 15.5 tackles for loss and 13 pass breakups over those two seasons. If you haven’t figured it out by now, Gant is as active as they come.

He may not be an ideal fit as a deep safety, but the kid plays run support like his life depends on it. When he’s up in the box, he’s looking to smother his blockers and find the football. Gant is by far and away one of the best safeties against the run in this entire draft.

The knock on him, aside from not being a very good coverage safety, is the lack of strong competition. Conference USA doesn’t provide nearly enough challenges to NFL prospects, which will always have scouts wondering whether the talent will hold up at the next level.

If the Bears haven’t snagged a safety yet by Round 7, and Gant is available, I like him as a guy who can be developed. If he doesn’t end up as a future starter, Gant would likely become a staple on special teams and a valuable backup.