Chicago Bears: 5 Cornerbacks to target in 2021 NFL Draft

With the release of Kyle Fuller, the Chicago Bears have a need for an outside cornerback. Here are five prospects they should target in the 2021 NFL Draft.

One of the most surprising and controversial moves the Chicago Bears made at the beginning of the new NFL league year was cutting their best cornerback, Kyle Fuller.

With the reduction in the salary cap this season, the Bears were seriously over the new cap number. Everyone knew they had to make tough decisions but many expected general manager Ryan Pace to just restructure Fuller’s contract to free up some money. Apparently, Fuller did not want to do that so the Bears had to make the surprising move.

After making the cut, the Bears went out and signed a pretty good cornerback, Desmond Trufant. When Trufant is on the field he is a good cornerback. The problem is that in the last two seasons he’s suffered from injuries. He played in only 15 games with the Atlanta Falcons and Detroit Lions in those two seasons. At age 30, he’s likely no more than a bridge player.

In that case, the Bears need to find a cornerback in this year’s draft. They had success in finding a good one last year in Jaylon Johnson. Barring injuries, he looks like he’ll be a good player for the Bears for years to come.

The Bears might also have a good addition in Kindle Vildor. Due to injuries, Vildor got in on more snaps than the team expected. He was solid in those snaps and that experience is big for him as he probably sees more action this season.

Vildor, however, is more of a slot corner. He isn’t an outside cornerback that Fuller was. This is where the Bears need to concentrate. With Vildor, Duke Shelley and Tre Roberson, among others, the Bears are good at the slot cornerback position.

The Bears also have Artie Burns to play the outside cornerback but he’s recovering from a torn ACL he suffered last season in training camp. It remains to be seen how well he plays in his return. Also, at the time of his injury, he was trying to revive his career after a few subpar seasons before coming to Chicago.

Here are five cornerback prospects the Chicago Bears should target in this year’s draft.

Cornerback targets for the Chicago Bears in the 2021 NFL Draft

Caleb Farley is an interesting prospect. Measuring in at 6-2 and weighing 197 pounds, he has great size to harass receivers on their routes. He does a good job of using his length to give receivers a hard time.

Farley also has good strength. He does well in press coverage. He mauls the receiver and knocks him out of his route. He has a good first punch that stuns receivers. With his quickness and athleticism, he can press well without getting off-balance himself.

Farley probably needs to play in a rotation in his first season before he steps in as a starter. He came to Virginia Tech as a quarterback so he’s still learning the position. With the Bears already having Trufant and Burns, He’ll be in a great place in Chicago. He could learn from both of those veterans and be ready to step up when the time comes.

Farley sometimes depends on his physical tools and needs to improve his technique. His size also sometimes hurts him when he plays too tall. That causes him a problem when receivers break on their routes. Additionally, he reacts too much instead of just using his instincts.

With his strength, Farley could be an asset against the run. He is a physical corner so he can come in and make big hits on running backs.

Farley’s size and strength are huge advantages for him and for whatever team drafts him. The Bears are in a position where they can give him a partial red-shirt season to start. He could get more seasoning, which is all he needs before he becomes a bona fide starter.