Late Draft Buzz Hints Bears Are Leaning Towards This Position at #8

Chicago Bears draft buzz must be taken with a grain of salt. We all know this. They proved last year they could keep people guessing as to what they really wanted right up until the pick was made. So there's no reason to think they can't do it again. It might be even easier this time because not as many as are on their pick as there were a year ago. This has led to rampant speculation about which direction they could go. The most popular name is Notre Dame guard Quenton Nelson. Not far behind is linebacker Roquan Smith and pass rushers like Harold Landry and Marcus Davenport. All are viable talents, but are they truly what the Bears are aiming at? The belief remains strong one of those names will be called, but the winds have shifted ever so slightly. In the past 24 hours, there's been a growing hint that the team may, in fact, have another idea in mind. One that could look a bit puzzling at first, but may, in fact, have a profound long-term positive impact.

Chicago Bears draft buzz is picking up around the secondary

Things seem stable around the Bears secondary these days, which is incredible to think about. The returns of Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara, and Bryce Callahan have kept their corner position solid. Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos formed an able tandem at safety last season. Yet it seems the Bears coaches aren't satisfied. Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, who still believes Roquan Smith is the pick, admitted he's hearing chatter about eyes shifting to the back end.

"There are rumblings that the Bears want to upgrade their secondary with a true playmaker. It was a goal last season, too. It’s why the Bears traded up in the fourth round to select safety Eddie Jackson. The Bears also had LSU safety Jamal Adams in mind early in the first round if quarterback Mitch Trubisky was off the board. Two players stand out in this year’s draft: Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward and Alabama safety Minkah Fitzpatrick. It’s interesting that they visited Halas Hall and that Florida State safety Derwin James did not."

He wasn't alone either. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog, who correctly reported the Bears' hiring of Harry Hiestand, heard from a top executive absolutely sees them targeting a defensive back.

"Asked both of the aforementioned personnel men what the Bears need? The GM stumbled around and gave me nothing. The other was dead-on. “They need defensive backs that make big plays when they get their hands on the football. And there will be several available when they pick. That’s where I expect Ryan to target and I KNOW that’s what Vic wants.”

This might seem hard to understand at first. The Bears seem relatively set in the secondary. Why target it so early? There is a simple explanation:  turnovers. The Bears defensive backs combined for just seven interceptions in 2017. For context? Detroit Lions cornerback Darius Slay had eight by himself. That is not good. Forcing takeaways has remained a persistent issue for Fangio's defense and the secondary is a primary culprit. Clearly, they want to put somebody back there who can get his hands on the football. Jackson was a step in the right direction last year. Now they require another. Under these conditions, the name to watch would be his former teammate Minkah Fitzpatrick. He had nine interceptions during his three years with the Crimson Tide and exhibits the sort of versatility that Fangio covets.