Did the Chicago Bears go into the draft expecting to take two secondary pieces with their top two picks? No. However, that is the way the board fell. After grabbing ultra-athletic cornerback Kyler Gordon at 39th overall, GM Ryan Poles came up again at #48, the selection Chicago got in the Khalil Mack trade. Rather than move down or add an offensive piece, the team elected to again go with the best player available. That was Jaquan Brisker.
Many felt the Penn State safety was a 1st round talent all the way. His mixture of size, athleticism, and versatility made him a weapon for the Nittany Lions defense. NFL.com had him ranked as the second-best safety in the entire class. He could do anything and everything asked of him from playing deep coverage, dropping into the box against the run, and also cover opposing tight ends. That kind of value is hard to pass on.
At No. 48 overall in Round 2, the #Bears are selecting Jaquan Brisker S Penn State
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) April 30, 2022
Brisker was inescapable last season.
Not only did he have 63 tackles, but six tackles for a loss, two interceptions, and five passes defended. It wasn’t a surprise to see his jersey number always around the football. This is the kind of chess piece that Matt Eberflus covets from the safety position. There is no shortage of ways the Bears will be able to use him. Even better, he has clear instincts and toughness for the position.
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Many Bears fans are going to hate the pick. They feel Justin Fields desperately needs more help on offense in the form of receivers and blocking. That is undeniable. The problem is the draft board didn’t cooperate. Most of the top linemen and pass targets had already been taken. So Poles had a choice, reach for somebody at one of those positions or stick to his board. He chose the latter. Jaquan Brisker is a 1st round talent. He’ll be a good player for this football team.
