Jaquan Brisker made a bold statement when the Chicago Bears drafted him 48th overall in the 2nd round last April. He told both GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus they were getting the steal of the draft. One must love the confidence of such a young player. Thus far, he’s been playing like it in OTAs, forcing some fumbles during drills. As it turns out, other people agree about the Bears getting him far later than they should’ve.
Joe Marino of The Draft Network evaluated the team’s entire class. While most of their picks were fine in his estimation, Brisker stuck out the most in a positive way. The Penn State safety had the highest grade of anybody in the class. High enough to be worth a late 1st round pick. Not only does Marino think he’ll contribute as a rookie, he is almost certain the kid will be the starter opposite Eddie Jackson.
Jaquan Brisker is a more complete player than Jackson.
From a talent perspective, he is what fans had hoped E-Jax could’ve become with time. The athleticism, range, and ball skills are enough to where quarterbacks often regret losing track of him in coverage. Yet the scariest thing is that it isn’t the strongest part of his game. Brisker is every bit as dangerous around the line of scrimmage, tackling ball carriers and providing pressure via the blitz. It’s amazing how many times he’s taken on offensive linemen and held his own.
The Bears have become surprisingly adept at finding standout safeties in the 2nd round over the past three decades—Tony Parrish in 1998, Mike Brown in 2000, and Daniel Manning in 2006. Brisker has enough talent to join that group and even exceed them. The physical upside is there, and so is the chip on his shoulder. Best of all, he’s in a defensive system that has made great use of safeties over the past several years.
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