Chicago Bears Mock Draft 3.0: Trade brings Round 2 steal
By Ryan Heckman
Round 2, Pick 40 (via trade with Buffalo Bills)
S. Florida. Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. 2. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis. 57. player
Moving up to pick no. 40 may be costly, and for the Bears to make it happen they would likely have to send a 2020 second-round pick to the Buffalo Bills, accompanied by a 2020 fourth-round selection. If Buffalo would agree to the same deal, only with a fifth-rounder, that would be ideal.
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Either way, Chauncey Gardner-Johnson would be worth it. If you’ve followed any NFL Draft content over the last couple of months, you should already know he is one of the better safeties in this year’s class.
Gardner-Johnson is someone who could be used by new defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano in multiple ways. At Florida, he showed an ability to be a tremendous presence up near the box or in the slot. He’s a long-bodied athlete with a knack for making plays on the ball, but also fills in nicely within run support.
One of his statement games came all the way back in 2016 as a freshman in the Outback Bowl, where he picked off two passes and came away with the game’s MVP award. This past year, Gardner-Johnson finished with an impressive nine tackles for loss, three sacks and four interceptions — two of which he returned for a score.
At 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, he is strong enough with long enough arms to match up well with tight ends in the slot. At the same time, Gardner-Johnson should be able to play either safety position in the pros — his best spot would likely come at strong safety.