While Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace hasn’t always landed on his first-round picks, he has managed to snag some late-round gems in the NFL Draft.
Pace is hoping the same is true for his three fifth-round picks, including edge rusher Trevis Gipson, cornerback Kindle Vildor and wide receiver Darnell Mooney.
Bleacher Report believes that Vildor could be the Bears’ surprise rookie gem in 2020, citing his man-coverage and ball skills as favorable for this defense.
The Chicago Bears desperately needed to add quality cornerback depth behind Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine. The team invested second- and fifth-round draft picks in Utah’s Jaylon Johnson and Georgia Southern’s Kindle Vildor, respectively.
Johnson has a chance to start opposite Fuller, while Vildor brings a coveted mentality.
The two-time first-team All-Sun Belt performer will have to beat out a few veterans for reps, but his man-coverage and ball skills should fit favorably in the Bears’ defensive scheme.
Vildor projects to play a significant role on special teams in his rookie season, but general manager Ryan Pace loves what he brings to the cornerback position.
“We stress confidence when we talk about the corner position,” Pace told reporters. “And [Vildor] definitely has that confidence and that playing demeanor that we look for. A skill set that also translates well to special teams, which is going to be important especially in the early part of his development.”
While Vildor isn’t expected to immediately compete for a starting job on defense, the Bears got a developmental cornerback in the fifth round that will see action on special teams.
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