Insider shakes up Chicago Bears draft plans with defensive suggestion

The Chicago Bears could seemingly go in any direction with the No. 10 overall pick. After their early offseason moves, the Bears are no longer locked in on simply drafting for need.

Offensive line was a major problem heading into 2025. So, Chicago traded for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney before signing center Drew Dalman. With defense being a leaky faucet in 2024, the Bears signed defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. All of those additions, wrapped up in a Ben Johnson-sized bow, mean Chicago can be more versatile in their draft planning.

It wouldn’t be surprising to see the Bears continue to build out their defense. But most mocks have Chicago going with an edge rusher if they’re going to draft on that side of the ball. Adam Jahns of The Athletic posed a new theory. What if the Bears targeted a cornerback with the No. 10 pick in the draft?

“Another scenario that hasn’t been discussed enough is the possibility that the Bears take a cornerback — a premium position — with the 10th pick,” Jahns wrote.

” Stevenson’s standing with the team could be on shaky ground under a new coaching staff,” Jahns concluded. “There’s the Hail Mary fiasco and its fallout, but Stevenson also continued to rotate with Smith last season. Why is that? Michigan’s Will Johnson and Texas’ Jahdae Barron could be options at No. 10. The Bears should at least do their due diligence and look at them closely.”

Tyrique Stevenson is secondary weak link

Jaylon Johnson is the undoubted leader of the Bears secondary. He is continuing to develop into one of the top flight cornerbacks in the league and will be tasked with manning opposing team’s top receivers. Kyler Gordon has emerged as a strong slot corner and is in line for a new contract extension. It wouldn’t be shocking to see Chicago use some of their remaining cap space to retain Gordon.

But then that leaves Stevenson. Only 24-years-old, the cornerback still has plenty of potential. His actions during the Hail Mary disaster won’t soon be forgotten. But at the same time, the Bears are still hoping Stevenson can become a crucial part of their defense.

Through his first two seasons, Stevenson has made 164 tackles, 28 pass break ups and six interceptions. He has started 32 games for the Bears, showing how highly Chicago thinks of him. However, Stevenson earned just a 58.9 grade from Pro Football Focus for his 2024 efforts.

The 2025 season will be a make-or-break campaign for Stevenson as he looks to prove his worth in Dennis Allen’s new defense. But that will become more difficult if the Bears used a high draft pick on a cornerback.

Who Chicago Bears could target

Jahns specifically mentions Will Johnson and Jahdae Barron as two potential cornerbacks the Bears could look into. If Chicago truly wanted to add secondary talent, both players would offer the team an explosive option.

Barron spent five years at Texas, appearing in 57 games. He made 226 tackles, 24 passes defended and eight interceptions. But Barron really came alive as a senior, racking up an SEC-leading five interceptions to go with a career-high 11 pass break ups. Barron was named a Consensus All-American and won the Jim Thorpe award.

Johnson is considered arguably the best cornerback in the draft, consistently being mocked within the first half of the first-round. He made 68 tackles, nine interceptions and 10 pass breakups during his time with the Wolverines. Johnson took two of them to the house in 2024, earning Second-team All-American honors. Johnson was also a member of Michigan’s national championship team, where he was named the Defensive MVP for the game.

Both options would seriously bolster Chicago’s secondary and give them a scary trio next to Johnson and Gordon. The only question is how serious a problem do the Bears view cornerback. If they believe in Stevenson, it seems unlikely secondary will be the pick at No. 10.

Source: https://www.chicitysports.com/insider-chicago-bears-draft-plans-suggestion?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=insider-chicago-bears-draft-plans-suggestion