4. Jeremy Chinn, Southern Illinois
While some players on this list figure to go in the nine spots ahead of Chicago when Round 2 begins, the hope is that Jeremy Chinn will still be on the board. His stock has been on the rise since the start of last season, and it’s only grown with strong showings at the Senior Bowl and the Scouting Combine. The Bears have shown plenty of interest in the Southern Illinois product, as they’ve met with him twice during the pre-draft process.
According to NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, Chinn is a “safety prospect with compelling size, speed and athletic ability. He has man cover skills. Very willing and able as a tackler, but despite his diverse skill set, his effectiveness can wane when asked to multitask. Chinn is at his best when he’s actively engaged and not sitting in space dissecting what comes next. His ball skills and athleticism are strengths that help define his value and teams will need to find ways to put him in position to utilize both without exposing his inconsistent field awareness. He might find a future role as a big nickel or a cover linebacker who can drag tight ends around the field in sub-packages.”