Chicago Bears 2020 NFL Draft: 6th Round defensive gems

1. Defensive Back Jared Mayden , Alabama

The words “defensive back out of Alabama” should be all you need to hear when it comes to Jared Mayden. It never seems to be a bad idea to draft secondary out of Alabama, and the Bears are living proof.

Jared Mayden was once a teammate of starting safety Eddie Jackson back in 2016, so there may be a little familiarity there if he were to be a Bear. Mayden has a history of playing every single position on the back end, whether it be outside corner, slot corner or safety. He is an incredibly versatile and intelligent player, which should come as no surprise — he comes from Saban’s program.

Mayden has a good amount of plays on tape where a receiver is in the process of catching the football, and almost reminiscent of the great Charles Tillman, he punches the ball out of their hands. After moving to safety, Mayden seemed to find the football a lot more, proving it was a good switch for him.

This past season with the Crimson Tide, Mayden totaled four interceptions and three passes defended. His interceptions, for the most part, were more “right place, right time” than anything else, but you can attribute his football smarts to those as well.

He isn’t the most outlandish athlete, but Mayden has the wherewithal to play safety in the NFL, especially if he is slotted in at strong safety next to a guy like Jackson. Mayden will cater more towards defenses that want a smart, patient box safety who has a knack for feeling plays out before they happen.