Chicago Bears: Assessing the offseason

4. Worst addition in the NFL Draft: DB Stephen Denmark

When the Bears picked Stephen Denmark, it was a bit of a head-scratcher to some, however, it was clear that the Bears picked Denmark based on his potential. One thing to understand about Denmark was the fact that although he may be considered a physical freak of nature, he played at Valdosta State, a Division Two school located in Valdosta, Georgia.

As of right now, Denmark will start at the bottom of the Bears depth chart. There are one of two ways that his first season with the Bears could go. First, he could impress and end up making the 53-man roster. Since he’s going to get reps at both cornerback and safety, Denmark has a prime opportunity to be the Bears safety of future starting in 2020.

However, if Denmark fails to impress, then a second route that his first season with the Bears could go is that the Bears stash him away on the practice squad and give him a year to develop. This seems more likely to happen.

One thing that needs to be understood is that the conversation about Denmark is all positive as of right now. However, next offseason, expect the conversation about him to change. It could go in either a positive or negative direction.

If Denmark ends up succeeding, then he’ll be looked at as a diamond in the rough. However, if not, then he’ll end up being just a backup or special teams player that won’t see much action. As of right now, the Bears are clearly confident in Denmark.