3 Eddie Jackson Replacements the Bears Should Target in the 2024 NFL Draft

The Bears wasted no time in clearing up some cap space after cutting Cody Whitehair and Eddie Jackson last week. The decline in play from both, on top of their hefty salaries, made this an easy choice from a business standpoint. Whitehair was benched halfway through the season so his departure does not directly create a hole in the roster, but Eddie Jackson was the starting free safety for the entire year.

Jackson did miss five games due to injury, but the fact of the matter is that even when on the field he was not producing like we have seen in the past. The Bears' defense as a whole ended the year as one of the better units in football. With Jackson not returning next season, the Bears will need to find his replacement in either the draft or free agency. Here are three options to replace him via the draft.

1. Calen Bullock, USC

Calen Bullock may have the highest upside of the safety group in this year's class. At 6'3, 190 lbs he has ideal length and speed at the safety position. He excels most in coverage and ranging the back end, but is a more-than-capable run defender as well. NFL Draft Buzz has him as their third-best safety overall.

Bullock has elite ball skills and put them on full display in 39 total collegiate games with USC where he tallied nine total interceptions. This can be accredited to Bullock also playing wide receiver in high school before converting fully to safety in college. We often see the best ball-hawking defensive backs have some history playing offense as well.

While he will not be drafted to come down into the box for a team's defense often, when he does meet ball carriers he does so with force. This can sometimes lead to missed tackles as he throws his body around a little in the run game, but what he provides in coverage will make up for that.

If the Bears want to draft Bullock, they will likely need to acquire a second-round pick via a trade as I don't believe he will last until the 75th pick - the Bears' current third-round selection.