Cornering the market: A closer look at talented rookie Jaylon Johnson and the Bears cornerbacks.
As the Bears conduct an unusual training camp in Lake Forest, the Tribune is taking a look at each position group.
Currently on roster: 10.
Projected on final roster: 5.
Roster locks: Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine, Jaylon Johnson.
Good bets: Kindle Vildor.
On the bubble: Kevin Tolliver, Artie Burns, Sherrick McManis, Duke Shelley.
Practice squad candidates: Stephen Denmark, Xavier Crawford.
Biggest offseason developments: The Bears allowed veteran Prince Amukamara’s contract to expire. … General manager Ryan Pace used a second-round selection (No. 50 overall) on Utah’s Jaylon Johnson. … The team signed Artie Burns to a one-year deal.
What to like
Kyle Fuller remains the top dog in the cornerback room with 12 interceptions and 55 passes defensed over the last three seasons. Aside from a frustrating 2016 in which Fuller missed the entire season with a knee issue that required arthroscopic surgery, the 28-year-old hasn’t missed a game in any of his other five years with the Bears and has continued to grow.
Fuller was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and returned to that showcase game last winter as an alternate replacement for Jalen Ramsey.
The Bears expect Fuller to remain an every-week difference maker in 2020 and beyond. He is also one of the most respected students on the roster, obsessed with watching film on his tablet whenever possible.
“Kyle watches probably as much tape as anybody,” defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said. “When Sundays, Mondays and Thursdays roll around, you know he’s done a great job with his preparation. He’s a really good teammate, a good communicator. He always has a positive attitude. He brings a lot of energy and a lot of positivity to the group.”
Prince Amukamara’s departure in free agency will add pressure on Fuller to stabilize the Bears pass defense as they work in a new starter at right cornerback. That competition merits monitoring in the weeks ahead.
The Bears coaching staff also drilled deep with Fuller on his 2019 season and identified improvement priorities for this offseason, wanting him to be more disciplined at times with his eyes and more aware of his stance and his alignment against certain formations and motions.
“You’ve got to look at yourself through the eyes of an offensive coordinator,” Pagano said. “… The long and short of it is Kyle has done a good job with evaluating himself. And he’s got a nice little laundry list he’s got to work on in this camp.”
Biggest question: How long will it take for Johnson to become starter?
The internal belief at Halas Hall is it’s a when-not-if proposition that Jaylon Johnson will become a long-term starter in the secondary. Bears talent evaluators are impressed with his athleticism, awareness and ability in press man coverage.
“Jaylon is a really intelligent player,” general manager Ryan Pace said on draft weekend. “He plays the game with excellent instincts and awareness. And he’s another guy with outstanding football makeup and really high football character. This is a guy who is driven and passionate.”
Still, the transition to the NFL never is easy. The degree of difficulty is even higher at cornerback, where the smallest mistakes quickly become magnified. And the challenge this year is even more intense given that rookies weren’t afforded the on-ramp of rookie minicamp, organized team activities or full-team minicamp.
Johnson also won’t have preseason games to adjust to the speed of the NFL. Furthermore, he had offseason shoulder surgery to repair a torn labrum. So his development into a trustworthy starter might take longer than he or the Bears originally hoped.
As practices begin in Lake Forest, Johnson will be battling veteran Kevin Tolliver and free-agent signee Artie Burns for the starting job at right cornerback.
The coaching staff has reminded Johnson he must constantly showcase his natural competitive desire and resilience to earn their trust. The 21-year-old certainly doesn’t lack for confidence.
“Honestly, I’m a baller,” Johnson said. “I’m a real strong competitor.”
Fresh face
Artie Burns was a first-round pick (No. 25) by the Steelers in 2016, lauded coming out of Miami for his length, physicality and speed. But he never turned into the player the Steelers thought he could be and left Pittsburgh with “bust” baggage.
Burns has been inconsistent and, at times, penaltyprone over his first four seasons in the league. He fell out of favor with the Steelers coaching staff midway through the 2018 season. Last year he played sparingly on defense and wound up inactive for the final six games.
Perhaps a change of scenery and a legitimate opportunity to compete for a starting spot will rejuvenate Burns. Or perhaps the Bears’ low-risk dice roll will prove unsuccessful.
You should know
Ryan Pace has used four of his 12 draft picks over the last two years on cornerbacks, including a fifth-round pick this spring on Georgia Southern’s Kindle Vildor and a seventh-rounder in 2019 on Valdosta State’s Stephen Denmark. It wouldn’t be a surprise if one or both young corners wound up on the Bears’ expanded practice squad.
Vildor’s ticket to making the 53-man roster initially might depend on his ability to earn trust as a special teams contributor. As a cornerback, the Bears were drawn to his versatility and ball skills.
Quote of note
“I expected to go a lot higher. But I wouldn’t necessarily let that (drown) my excitement that I have an opportunity to play at the professional level and live out my childhood dream. I’m definitely forever grateful for the Bears for being that team to believe in me and give me an opportunity to be able to provide for my family. It’s just with the expectations I had for myself, I didn’t expect to be around for that pick.” — Jaylon Johnson on his draft-weekend disappointment
Big number: 3
Interceptions by Bears cornerbacks in 2019, a 77% dip from the previous season. Kyle Fuller had all three of those picks. The Bears defense dropped 24 spots in interceptions from 2018 (first with 27) to 2019 (25th with 10).