Bears complete 2012 draft signings
Just 19 days after the draft concluded, the Chicago Bears have all six of their 2012 draft picks under contract.
Only the St. Louis Rams, Carolina Panthers, Seattle Seahawks, New York Giants and Green Bay Packers had all of their draft picks signed before the Bears.
Third-round safety Brandon Hardin, the Bears’ last remaining unsigned draft pick, agreed to a four-year contract Tuesday morning. The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Hardin, out of Oregon State, was the 79th overall pick. He started 15 games but missed his entire senior season with a fractured shoulder.
Hardin was a cornerback for the Beavers but will transition to safety as a pro, which will require a bit more studying. The Bears, however, are intrigued by his size and the agility that allowed him to play cornerback in the Pac-12, where he twice made the all-academic team.
“It’s always tough when you make any transition,” Bears coach Lovie Smith said at last weekend’s rookie minicamp, where Hardin began his transformation. “But you just look at some of the skills he has: great size for a safety, (and) he’s a physical player. That’s what we’re looking for there.
“It’s a lot harder playing corner than it is safety, so we feel pretty good about him being able to make that transition.”
Hardin was beaten deep a couple times over the weekend, but he also had an interception during Saturday’s seven-on-seven drills. He had just 1 interception in three years at Oregon State.
“I’ve talked to him a lot about (how) he’s got to get a lot more interceptions,” Smith said. “That’s why it was good to see him get one in practice. He’s a quick learner, and we’re pretty encouraged.”
Special teams coach Dave Toub is also encouraged by the prospect of Hardin contributing immediately on coverage teams.
“He really loves special teams,” Toub said. “He was a gunner on their special teams, starting gunner and the first guy down the field on kickoffs, the first guy down on punts, (and he) made a lot of tackles. He jumped out at you on special teams.
“We’re really happy to have him, great speed, good size, and he’s got a great attitude.”
Hardin knows he has a lot to learn, but if history is any indication he has a good chance to be starting for the Bears sooner rather than later. The Bears used eight different safety combinations last season and five different players started at least three games at free safety or strong safety.
“There’s going to be a learning curve,” Hardin admitted. “But I have to learn as fast as I can if I want to play.”
He already has learned one of the most important lessons.
“In this system, the No. 1 thing the Bears pride themselves on is the toughness,” Hardin said. “Being a physical safety, whether it be coming down and being in the box making secure tackles or take-aways. We want to score every play.”