Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on March 3, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Bears are starting to make some roster moves as we head deeper into the offseason, and there are some who feel they need to take a long, hard look at their cornerbacks and try to come up with some kind of combination that will work well for them. They don’t necessarily need to work on their starting combination at this time, but they could use some depth and may be able to find that depth in the later rounds of the 2011 NFL Draft.

As it stands right now, the Bears could not afford an injury to either Charles Tillman or Tim Jennings.  The depth behind them consists of Zachary Bowman, D.J. Moore, Joshua Moore, Corey Graham and K.J. Gerard.  That doesn’t leave much solid depth there for the Bears, and they could be in trouble if they had an injury to one of their starters.

Chicago needs to take a look at some of the cornerbacks who will be available in the 2011 NFL Draft, as it will be a deep draft for cornerbacks.  Don’t expect them to reach high for one but, instead, look for some help around the fifth or sixth round of the draft.

Let’s take a look at three cornerbacks rated to be fifth or sixth round selections in the 2011 NFL Draft and see how they could help the Bears.

Marcus Gilchrist—Clemson

Will the Bears take an interest in this Clemson product?  It’s possible, as he could provide them with some good depth at the position and perhaps could even be a starter a little bit later in his career.  Gilchrist isn’t the biggest cornerback (5’10”, 193 pounds) but he’s got a nice skill set that could transfer over to the NFL.

What he offers is speed and the ability to make plays against the run, which is vital in the Bears’ defense.  He’s managed to stay healthy during his entire career at Clemson and has experience playing cornerback and both safety positions.  He has good instincts and can return punts and kicks (which could come in handy if the Bears lose Manning this offseason).

What Gilchrist lacks is the ability to make a lot of big plays, as he wasn’t very productive creating turnovers in his time at Clemson.  He needs to reduce the number of steps he takes getting into position to cover receivers.  He also needs to play lower and learn how to read what’s going on up front with the offense and what his receivers are doing.

Like so many of the players at the cornerback position who are graded in the middle rounds of the draft, Gilchrist has his ups and downs.  At this stage, you aren’t going to find too many players who are ready to start, so the Bears could develop Gilchrist and keep him ready for the future as a starter in the secondary.

Chimdi Chekwa—Ohio State

Chekwa is a guy who has flown under the radar somewhat, but definitely has some potential.  He was pretty productive in college and could fit well at either cornerback or safety.  He’s got good size for the position, coming in at 6’0″ and 190 pounds.  He isn’t afraid to make a tackle and was one of the better tacklers on the team last season.  He’s able to make the jump and knock the ball away from the receiver, he can read the offense, break towards the play and make the tackle.

While Chekwa can read plays well, he struggles reading and reacting to them in time.  He isn’t that instinctive either, and can end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.  He struggles to make quick changes in direction.  He also needs to get lower when backpedaling. Injuries may also be of some concern with him as well.

Chekwa had a very nice career at Ohio State and is poised to have a good one in the NFL.  If he lands with the right team and the right system, he will flourish. Is the Bears’ defense the kind of defense that will work for Chekwa?  Being that he is a physical player who can play the run and make good tackles, he definitely would fit in with the Bears’ style of defense.

Chykie Brown—Texas

Brown comes from a school that is known for producing some good talent in the secondary, having placed guys like Seattle Seahawks’ safety Earl Thomas, and New York Giants’ cornerback Aaron Ross in the NFL. Brown is not the highest-rated prospect to come out of Texas this year, but he’s definitely someone who should be looked at heading into the 2011 NFL Draft.

Brown is tall for the position (coming in at 6’0″) and can play well in both man and zone coverage.  He runs very well for being tall, and if he’s thrown off he can recover quickly and get back to make the play.  He can catch up quickly if he falls behind, and is well adept at locating the football and moving towards the play.  

Brown’s footwork needs a little bit of help, and he has a tendency to allow receivers to get away from him at the start.  He needs to work on his mechanics and gain additional instincts as a cornerback.  He will stumble at times going backwards and doesn’t have great body control.

Brown has a lot of potential and could be easily someone who the Bears are interested in.  He’s got some development needed before he can be relied upon as a starter, but he’s got a good base set of skills and could be a contributor in short order.

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