Bears have enough cornerbacks, but depth chart remains somewhat fluid
We continue a 12-part series grading each Bears position group A to F, including pluses and minuses based on a bell curve comparing all 32 NFL teams.
The Bears are loaded with talent at cornerback, but there are no sure things on the depth chart.
Desmond Trufant (24th overall) and Artie Burns (25th) were first-round draft choices, and Jaylon Johnson (50th) and Teez Tabor (53rd) were second-round picks. At this stage of their careers, only Trufant has played up to those levels over a period of time as a pro.
We can only assume good health when assigning these grades but Johnson, Trufant and Burns bring significant injury concerns as well.
If these four stay healthy and play to their ability, and any one or two of exciting youngsters like Kindle Vildor and Tre Roberson break through, this could prove to be an outstanding group.
Expect six cornerbacks on the 55-man roster.
Jaylon Johnson
Johnson is coming off a very impressive rookie campaign and has all the tools to replace Kyle Fuller as the Bears top corner and possibly even land in a few Pro Bowls of his own.
At no time was the game or any moment too big for him last season. He has the very short memory you need to play the position. He appears to have several more gears to find.
The concern is he had both shoulders operated on before he left college and then missed the last four games last year with a new shoulder injury. Grade: B
Desmond Trufant
Trufant started 48 straight games his first three years in the league from 2013-2015. He was one of the best cover corners in the NFC in 2015, earning a trip to the Pro Bowl.
He was hurt at the halfway point of the 2016 season, missing out on the Falcons' Super Bowl run. Trufant has started 16 games just once since. including only nine starts in 2019 in Atlanta and six last year for the Lions. If he's on the field he's a high-end cover corner, but at 31 when the season starts, how healthy can he stay? And how much does he have left? Grade: B-
Kindle Vildor
Vildor was one of the fastest risers on draft boards following the Senior Bowl and NFL combine in 2019. He played well in spots last year after the Bears drafted him in the fifth round.
He was the talk of this year's OTAs and minicamp and was probably the best corner on the field, but it was OTAs and minicamp. He has an extremely high ceiling and the Bears project him as an eventual starter and a duo with Johnson for a number of years to come. He still has to prove that on the field. Grade: B-
Artie Burns
Burns played 48 straight games for the Steelers after being drafted in the first round. He started in nine of those as a rookie, all 16 as a sophomore and then six in year three. His fourth and final season in Pittsburgh, he started just once and was inactive the last six weeks since he just never quite played to his scouting reports.
He was the front-runner to start across from Fuller last year after signing with the Bears as a free agent, but tore his ACL early in training camp. Grade: C+
Duke Shelley
Shelley was a surprise pick by the Bears in the sixth round out of Kansas State in 2019. He has impressed in flashes playing in the slot, but has also had moments where he looked a bit lost. At 5-feet-8 and 183 pounds, he is limited to playing inside and will compete for the nickel job with Vildor. Grade: C
Thomas Graham Jr., Teez Tabor, Tre Roberson, Michael Joseph, Xavier Crawford
It's quite possible Tabor, Graham Jr. and Roberson are all eventually top 3 or 4 corners in the league if not starters. Each boasts some special traits. Tabor and Roberson have excellent size for the position, but we just haven't seen enough of any of them yet. Grade: Incomplete
With good health and a consistent pass rush in front of them, it wouldn't be at all surprising if this group were an A- or B+ by the end of the season. But right now it's all projection and a number of questions still need to be answered. Overall Grade: B-
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