Malik Hooker is flying up draft boards which gives him incredible potential to be selected third overall by the Chicago Bears.
If you took a poll on the street most people would argue that fixing the quarterback should be the number one priority for the Bears, and I would agree. If the four teams left competing for a 2017 Super Bowl championship aren't enough proof, the nine combined wins for Chicago in last two seasons should be.
The default answer to that problem, for the Bears, would be to draft a quarterback with their first round pick. There's a problem with that theory though.
In order for the Bears to maximize the value of their pick at number three, they have to minimize risk. Currently, Mitch Trubisky is the highest ranked quarterback on Mel Kiper's Big Board at #16. Kiper isn't always 100% accurate but there aren't many quarterbacks previously drafted at the top that weren't also ranked highly on his Big Board - that's essentially why people trust his opinion.
Some of this could obviously change as prospects shift around during the NFL combine and in-depth scouting processes, but right now the quarterback position carries an exceptionally high-risk for the Bears making it less likely to be their selection in April. As much as Ryan Pace wants a franchise signal caller, he's not dumb enough to waste the highest Bears pick since 1972 reaching for one. Especially not when trading for a veteran and re-signing Brian Hoyer remain viable options.
The Bears have so many holes to fill that missing on their first-round pick again, cough cough Kevin White, could present real problems for the city's confidence in Pace moving forward. That is why I believe he will be likely to make one of the "safest" picks on the board and minimize his risk.
Ironically, do you know that the second biggest need for the Bears is arguably the absolute safest route to go at the top of the first round? Not one, not two, not three, but four defensive backs have the potential to go somewhere inside the top 10. How sad would it be to see multiple Pro Bowlers drafted in the defensive backfield while the Bears are reaching on the next Jared Goff? Don't think Pace hasn't also asked himself that question.
When you look at those defensive backs, Malik Hooker is drawing a ton of praise. Not only has he been identified by some as the best defensive back in this class, others have called him the best prospect they've ever seen.
Ranked #2 on Daniel Jeremiah's Top 50 Prospect list, released today, here's what he had to say about Hooker.
"Hooker is a tall, rangy safety prospect with incredible instincts. He usually lines up as the high safety and he has an uncanny ability to anticipate throws, drive on the ball, and finish. He is ultra-fluid in his change of direction and has the ability to match up with tight ends in man coverage. He has the best ball skills of any safety I've ever evaluated in college. He is also a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Against the run, he is quick to key, read and fill the alley. He does have some fly-by missed tackles, but overall he's reliable in this area. Hooker has the potential to be one of the league's best safeties very early in his NFL career."
If having the best ball skills Jeremiah has ever seen isn't enough for you, he's been called "the next Ed Reed" by various people including former NFL scouts and Greg Schiano, who was Reed's college defensive coordinator.
The early reports on Hooker peg him as a low-floor, high-ceiling type player. He's also young, athletic and predicted to be an early first-round pick making him an ideal match for Pace and the Bears. Chicago finished 29th in interceptions last season for crying out loud.
As much as the Bears want to fix the quarterback position, don't expect Pace to take many high risks trying to do it. Especially risks like drastically overreaching for a quarterback at number three or trading the house for Jimmy Garoppolo. Those are the types of decisions that would put his job in jeopardy.
Obviously fixing the quarterback position is also his job. That is why some think trading back into the first round or targeting a player like Patrick Mahomes in the second could be better options for fulfilling the need.
Drafting this pure ball-hawking safety seemingly makes way more sense for winning more games now. He's expected to be an impact player in the NFL on day one, and for those reasons Malik Hooker could easily be selected by the Chicago Bears come draft day.
Scouting Report On Malik Hooker
Strengths
• Ballhawk - Excellent tracker, good hands • Range - Reads QBs' eyes, covers a ton of ground • Speed - Exceptional recovery speed, penetrates quickly • Athleticism - Should test well • Size - Good size for position • Hips - Fluid transition in coverage • Instincts - Excellent in coverage
Weaknesses
• Inexperience - 1-year playing the position • Tackling - Drops head, stops feet • Play fakes - Too often fooled by misdirection • Run support - Willing, but not always effective (via NBC)
There's only one legitimate concern about Hooker's game. It's his experience. According to reports, Hooker didn't even start playing football until his junior year in high school. Playing both WR and CB he earned a scholarship to Ohio State where he sat on the bench for the first two years learning behind Vonn Bell and Tyvis Powell. After receiving an opportunity to start in 2016, Hooker had himself an All-American season. He was a unanimous All-American selection and led Ohio State's absurd string of interceptions returned for a touchdown (seven) with three pick-sixes on the season. Hooker also had 74 tackles in 13 games. Here's a pass deflection showing incredible range while getting out to the numbers.
The early reports on Hooker peg him as a low-floor, high-ceiling type player. He's also young, athletic and predicted to be an early first-round pick making him an ideal match for Pace and the Bears. Chicago finished 29th in interceptions last season for crying out loud.
As much as the Bears want to fix the quarterback position, don't expect Pace to take many high risks trying to do it. Especially risks like drastically overreaching for a quarterback at number three or trading the house for Jimmy Garoppolo. Those are the types of decisions that would put his job in jeopardy.
Obviously fixing the quarterback position is also his job. That is why some think trading back into the first round or targeting a player like Patrick Mahomes in the second could be better options for fulfilling the need.
Drafting this pure ball-hawking safety seemingly makes way more sense for winning more games now. He's expected to be an impact player in the NFL on day one, and for those reasons Malik Hooker could easily be selected by the Chicago Bears come draft day.
