Chicago Bears: Pro comparisons for each 2019 draft pick

Round 7 Pick 238

CB Stephen Denmark

The Chicago Bears used a position of strength to take another cornerback in the 2019 NFL Draft. They are set at the position but this could turn out to be a steal of a pick if it works out. Ryan Pace and the Bears selected Stephen Denmark out of Valdosta State.

Pace made it public that he believes in Denmark’s ability to track a ball in the air and get turned around ready to make a play on it. He believes he will be one of the more interesting prospects to watch come training camp.

He is a wide receiver turned cornerback so his final year at Valdosta was his first year at the position, and he showed he could probably be NFL ready. He fell to a late-round pick in the draft but he did only have the one year at the position. In that one year, he had 55 tackles, 3 interceptions, and nine pass deflections. Not bad stats for the first year at a new position, and a hard position at that.

He is new to the position so it is hard to compare him to a prime time NFL cornerback. The best comparison might be Taylor Mays. He and Mays had very similar Pro Day/Combine numbers and they are very similar in size. Mays is currently a free agent and his days in the NFL might be done, but he was able to participate in 66 NFL games.

If Denmark is able to get a 66-game career in, he could call that a success as a seventh-rounder. It also isn’t impossible for players drafted in late rounds to go on to have great careers, especially someone like Shelley who has only played corner for one whole season. He’s still developing.

All of these are comparable to current or former NFL players and they’re only just that. It doesn’t mean they are these players and it also doesn’t mean that they only have the ceiling of these players. It is up to Ryan Pace, coach Matt Nagy, and the rest of the organization to put these guys in position to succeed.