Chicago Bears mock draft: Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor
Many people expect the Chicago Bears to primarily focus their attention on offense. They finally found their franchise quarterback so they’ll move heaven and earth to make sure he’s in a good situation. That’s laudable but they also have holes and an aging defense to deal with.
One of the areas they need to address is safety. Tashaun Gipson is a free agent again and it appears he hasn’t done enough in the team’s assessment to earn a long-term deal.
The Bears could draft Jalen Pitre and have him there for a few seasons at an economical rate.
The Baylor Bears have been a strong defensive unit over the past several seasons. They’ve been able to shut down some good offenses. A big part of the reason is Pitre.
Pitre has all the tools to be a real hybrid player. He can drop back in coverage, rush at the edge, go against the run, and play slot corner. He has the ability to be on the field a lot in different areas.
At 6-feet tall, Pitre appears to be undersized. His physicality makes up for that, however. He plays larger than his frame and has good strength. He can square up against larger blockers and maintain gap discipline. In close quarters, he is violent. He makes some big, hard hits.
Pitre plays with amazing speed and pace and plays exactly how you expect a Chicago Bears defender to play.