6 cornerbacks the Chicago Bears can add this off-season
![GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 28: Rasul Douglas #29 of the Green Bay Packers intercepts a pass intended for A.J. Green #18 of the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of a game at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. The Packers defeated the Cardinals 24-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) GLENDALE, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 28: Rasul Douglas #29 of the Green Bay Packers intercepts a pass intended for A.J. Green #18 of the Arizona Cardinals during the fourth quarter of a game at State Farm Stadium on October 28, 2021 in Glendale, Arizona. The Packers defeated the Cardinals 24-21. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/e21ba0a17fab28328166c754bbbd7ed3eeb205d11f7f77a3581e445570d6a6ca.jpg)
The Chicago Bears could use the 2022 NFL Draft to land some secondary help.
Kaiir Elam, Florida, Late 1st/early 2nd round projection
Kaiir Elam locking down Virginia in the final minutes đ #OrangeBowl
â ESPN (@espn) December 31, 2019
(đ @CapitalOne) pic.twitter.com/mGCxExmZEL
The draft space seems to be all over the map on Floridaâs Kaiir Elam. Some people see him as a first-round lock, while others see him as more of a day 2 guy. I am in the first camp.
There just arenât many guys with the size and movement skills that Elam possesses. He is listed at 6â2âł 196 lbs, yet moves like a guy half his size. He is extremely fluid in the way he mirrors receivers and that is rare to find in someone who is that lengthy.
Now, as he is this perfect shutdown corner with consistency throughout his entire 2021 season? No, he got beat much more this season and that is probably why people are leery. However, his best games were against better competition, and he posted PFF coverage grades of 81 in 2020 and 89.8 in 2019.
I am willing to bet on the traits and the post-production, and if he is available at 39, the Bears should too. He is the prototype of how Eberflus wants his corners to look and fits right into this match-zone defense. This is a guy who could be a more than viable starter from the jump and has the ceiling to be one of the better corners in the NFL.
Martin Emerson, Mississippi State, Midday 2 projection
Martin Emerson in man coverage vs Alabama WR Jameson Williams. Gets physical at the top of the route, but not too grabby which doesnât draw a flag. Stays on top of Williams to force the incompletion. Good rep
â Anthony Cover 1 (@Pro__Ant) February 6, 2022
pic.twitter.com/XTIrdjz3iC
There arenât many better prospects fits with the Bears than Mississippiâs Stateâs Martin Emerson. The guy is a tree at 6â2âł 200 lbs and has those pterodactyl arms that get Eberflusâs mouth-watering. In addition to his physical profile, he thrived in a similar match zone system that Eberflus ran in Indy.
Emerson is excellent at staying square with receivers from an off alignment and then squeezing them once they break off their route. And once he gets those vines for arms on them, their route is over. He is also pretty good at attacking routes from a standstill.
The major shortcoming of his game is that he isnât this twitchy mover that is going to shadow a teamsâ best receiver. Fortunately, he doesnât have to be, especially in this defense. With his size and length, he is just flat-out hard to get around. That is why Eberflus values these traits as much as he does.
Emerson is seen as a fringe round 2/early round-3 prospect right now. That could obviously change after the combine but he would be a home a run selection at 71. Or, if the Bears wanted to trade back from 39 and grab him later in round 2, I would not be mad in the slightest.
Tariq Woolen, UTSA, Late day 2/early day 3 projection
#UTSA CB Tariq Woolen was my winner at CB this week at the Senior Bowl.
â Dane Brugler (@dpbrugler) February 5, 2022
6033, 205, 33.5â arms. Clocked 22.45 MPH (âŠ@ZebraTechnologyâ©) and looked controlled/fluid in drills.
My SB winners at every position: https://t.co/VvNMnMSYNv pic.twitter.com/abEfgq4Svb
I featured Tariq Woolen on my players to watch at the Senior Bowl article and said he could be one of the biggest risers with a strong showing. Well, his Senior Bowl performance was very much like his tape, inconsistent.
He had moments where he would destroy receivers at the line of scrimmage with his long frame but also had moments where he got torched. Itâs clear he is still very much a project. However, there arenât many 6âČ 3âł corners with 33.5-inch arms on the planet.
In addition to Woolenâs insane size, he is reportedly a freak athlete as well per Bruce Feldmanâs Freak List. The Bears obviously need people who can start immediately. Is Woolen that guy? Probably not. But, his tools might be too much for Eberflus and his staff to resist.
Having said that, pick 71 is a little rich for Woolen in my opinion. Ideally, they could trade down in the 3rd round and grab him later. Even if that happened, they probably shouldnât start him in year 1. Having a viable stop-gap option that would allow him to take a redshirt year would be the best path for his success.
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