Chicago Bears 2021 Draft: Must-target small school prospects

Chicago Bears Small School Draft Targets: S Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee State

For a while now, fans have wondered who the Bears will finally get to pair with Eddie Jackson for the long haul. This team has been missing a physical presence at safety. Instead, Jackson has seen more of his own type filling in at strong safety the past couple of years.

But, the Bears functioned much better with a sure tackler like Adrian Amos at this position, and adding a true strong safety would benefit them greatly.

Middle Tennessee State’s Reed Blankenship is a prime example of this type of player. The best part? He can be found in the middle rounds.

Blankenship is one of those tough, hard-nosed players that loves contact. He is a wrap-up tackler and unafraid to get his hands dirty, finding himself in the back field often as well.

This is a player who gets in on a lot of tackles. He’s the type of guy who plays until the whistle blows and flocks to the football, which is something this defense needs to get back to doing. Blankenship is actually a pretty multi-talented safety for a guy who would play closer to the box.

He’s come up with eight career interceptions, showing some pretty solid ball skills. Blankenship has also totaled 16.5 career tackles for loss. Again, he’s all over the field. He likes to get in on every tackle if he can. He is a great mid-round target for the Bears and would potentially fill a starting role.