Draft Expert Predicts Chicago Bears Add Monster Corner With First Pick

Most mock drafts aren't covering the Chicago Bears at this point. No surprise since the team doesn't have a pick until late in the 3rd round. This has made it difficult to see what any of the top experts see them doing. However, NFL.com finally came around to it with one of their first multi-round mock drafts. Their expert Chad Reuter ran down his list. When he finally came to the Bears at the 87th pick, his choice ended up being cornerback Joejuan Williams. His reasoning for it was simple enough. He seems to think the Bears stand a good chance of not retaining slot cornerback Bryce Callahan.

"The Bears add another corner here if they do not re-sign nickel Bryce Callahan, who is coming off a broken foot suffered late in the year."

Williams hails from Vanderbilt. Not exactly a hotbed of top tier NFL talent but it's hard to miss somebody like him. Why? He's 6'3. You read that right. Williams is a 6'3 cornerback with 32-inch arms and stands at 211 lbs. Suffice to say players of his type don't come around often at that position. [video width="1276" height="666" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Joejuan-Williams-is-a-massive-CB-out-of-Vanderbilt-62-207-pounds-and-has-great-speed-and-fluid-hi.mp4"][/video]

Chuck Pagano would likely covet a guy like Williams for Chicago Bears

Long corners are desired in general by NFL teams, but especially so for those running a 3-4 system. Why? They tend to have the most success when it comes to playing physical press coverage. This is something Williams excelled at for Vanderbilt. There isn't a receiver who can outmuscle him and he shows good discipline when it comes to tracking the football. His primary issues are typical of somebody his size. He's a bit stiff in his lower body and his speed, while not bad, isn't upper tier. This could make him vulnerable to receivers who either run smart routes or are capable of hitting that second gear over the top. A valid concern. That said, this is nothing new to defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano. He's handled bigger corners for the majority of his NFL career dating back to his days as a defensive backs coach. Among the names he's handled who fit the profile?

• Jimmy Smith (6'2)
• Pierre Desir (6'1)
• Rashaan Melvin (6'2)
• Quincy Wilson (6'2)
• Cary Williams (6'1)

It's clear he seems to covet bigger corners, so this pick would make sense. Not only could Callahan be gone soon, but Prince Amukamara is entering his 30s now. The Bears must always think ahead at this position. Williams would make for an exciting talent they can groom for the future.