The Last Chicago Bears Safety Drafted in the Top 10 Was a Star

Considering the importance of the passing game in this modern NFL, it really is remarkable that teams still hesitate to use top draft picks on defensive backs. The Chicago Bears are a perfect example. Not just first rounder, but legitimate top 10 or even top five selections. If this game is about getting the best possible players and a great safety or corner could be the final piece to a puzzle, why risk waiting until later in the draft? This is most definitely a question the Bears brass will have to ponder going into the 2017 off-season. Their secondary was a regular sore spot all year, contributing to a franchise-worst 11 takeaways. Nowhere was it uglier than the safety position. Adrian Amos, Harold Jones-Quartey, Deon Bush and Chris Prosinski took turns missing tackles, taking bad angles and always appearing late to plays. The Bears defense hasn't had a great safety in over 10 years when Mike Brown was still in his prime. Since then they've been trying to get by with old free agents and late round draft picks. Unsurprising that it hasn't worked. Calls are growing louder for GM Ryan Pace to stop screwing around and go get a difference-maker at the top of the draft. The thing is, Chicago has only done it once in the entire Super Bowl era. It worked out pretty well. (continue to next page from top) In 1989 the Chicago Bears defense was a mess. Gone were the dominant days of Buddy Ryan. At that point they were just struggling for respect. By the end of the season they ranked 25th overall in the NFL and 24th against the pass. The team finished a woeful 6-10. Many thought their run as playoff contenders was over. The Bears knew if that would be proven wrong, they had to improve their secondary in 1990. So they decided to take no chances, using the #6 overall pick in the draft to take a young safety out of USC by the name of Mark Anthony Carrier. The first ever Trojans defensive back to win the Jim Thorpe Award, he finished college with 13 interceptions. He was smart, instinctive and experienced. Hopefully he could help the defense out right away. Nobody had a clue what was to follow. [video width="640" height="480" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/1990-Chicago-Bears-Yearbook-A-Team-Together000729.000-000907.751.mp4"][/video] Carrier finished his first year with a Pro Bowl, Rookie of the Year honors and a franchise record 10 interceptions. Better still, his arrival had the exact impact the team hoped for. The defense went from 25th to ninth overall and 24th to 10th against the pass. Carrier ended up being a three-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Bears. His presence kept the defense strong for a little longer even though it was clear age was catching up to several key players at that point. He finished his career with 32 interceptions. Given the success they had last time, why wouldn't Chicago consider trying again? All signs point to the 2017 NFL draft class being positively stacked with quality safeties. Not just good ones but genuine elite prospects. Two of them, Malik Hooker out of Ohio State and Jamal Adams out of LSU are considered top 10-worthy talents. Their wide-ranging skill sets having scouts salivating about what they could accomplish in the pros. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThrncA5Wiao [video width="640" height="358" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/6fzv.mp4"][/video] These two young men share the same things in common. They're always around the football and they know how to make plays on it. Two things the majority of previous Chicago Bears safeties can't claim. Playmakers are needed on every level of a defense in order to field an elite unit. If this team is serious about improving in that area as they claim, why go with conventional wisdom? If it looks like Hooker or Adams will be a great player, and they both do, and they fill a gigantic team need then what is the downside to taking them #3 overall. Not a single person will complain about such a "daring" pick whenever either of them make their first Pro Bowl. Pace said his job in this draft is to get an impact guy for his team. Hooker and Adams are impact guys and they're both going to be available when the Bears are on the clock. It shouldn't be that hard of a decision.