New Bears general manager Ryan Poles opted to go defense with his first NFL draft pick, addressing an important need at cornerback with Washington’s Kyler Gordon with the 39th overall pick.
Cornerback was Chicago’s biggest weakness on defense last season, where Jaylon Johnson was the lone bright spot in an otherwise uninspiring secondary. Gordon was considered a first-round prospect by some, and he fell right into the Bears’ lap in the second round.
Last season with the Huskies, Gordon totaled 45 tackles, two interceptions, seven pass breakups and one forced fumble with the Huskies, where he earned first-team all-conference honors. But his most impressive stat during his time at Washington is unreal: Gordon didn’t allow a touchdown in 18 college starts.
Gordon is a versatile cornerback, where he has experience playing both on the outside and in the slot. Still, Gordon figures to serve as a starter alongside Johnson on the outside, where he has the potential be become a lockdown corner at the NFL level.
With Johnson and Gordon, Chicago has two potential lockdown corners who will make things difficult on opposing offenses. Teams have intentionally not targeted both at their respective levels. Now, they’ll have to pick their poison.
Gordon will have an opportunity to start right away opposite Johnson giving Chicago has a pair of young, former Pac-12 corners to anchor the outside for the foreseeable future while Tavon Young is a favorite to start in the slot.
Grade: A-
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