Impressing fans and media types with draft picks is one thing. They may evaluate college players as a hobby, but it’s different when you impress people that do this for a living. Guys that made it their lifetime job to determine what good football players look like. GM Ryan Poles seemed to earn respect from those people for his work last weekend. One player that drew plenty of praise was Jaquan Brisker.
The Penn State safety had 1st round grades from some draft experts. Thanks to a great mix of size, athleticism, and instincts, they loved his unique versatility. His knack for making big plays in big moments was a key reason Poles liked him so much. Another person that loved the pick was former Minnesota Vikings GM Rick Spielman. Widely respected around the NFL for his decade of success up north, he lauded Chicago for the Brisker selection on CBS Sports.
It is important to have context here.
Spielman has a strong track record for recognizing safety talent. He was the one who drafted five-time Pro Bowler Harrison Smith in Minnesota. He also uncovered undrafted gems like Anthony Harris and Andrew Sendejo. If that weren’t enough, he helped draft Pro Bowler Yeremiah Bell during his stint with the Miami Dolphins in 2003. This man knows what good safeties are supposed to look like.
So for him to shower so much praise on Jaquan Brisker is no small thing. It means the Bears probably got that one right. NFL.com ranked him as the second-best safety in the entire draft, comparing him to former Houston Texans standout Justin Reid. Bears fans might see visions of Adrian Amos or maybe even a little Mike Brown. Poles scored a significant hit for his retooling defense if he lives up to either of those two names.
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If fellow 2nd rounder Kyler Gordon also turns out to be a good player, then Chicago’s secondary is set for the foreseeable future.
