Latest Chicago Bears Draft Meetings Remain Focused On One Position
The Chicago Bears spent most of their early days on the private meeting circuit focused on obvious positions of need. They met with several wide receivers, edge rushers, and centers. However, with less than a week until the draft itself, their focus seems to have shifted to another position. Though the Bears signed Kevin Byard as their new free safety, that doesn’t seem to have stopped them from delving deep into the potential options later in the draft and undrafted free agency. Having already met with multiple names in recent weeks, two more just got added to the list.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston, the Bears have hosted TCU’s Mark Perry and Ball State’s Loren Strickland over the past week. Perry helped his program reach the national championship game in 2022. He’s 6’0, 200 lbs, and boasts 4.37 speed, which is rare for that position. He’s known best for his run defense and physical mentality. The same can be said of Strickland, who doubles as a heat-seeking missile with some impressive highlights. Like Perry, he is an excellent run defender who might be even better on special teams.
Both would be considered probable depth options behind Jaquan Brisker.
The Chicago Bears understand their predicament at safety.
Byard and Brisker form a solid tandem as starters, but the depth behind them is questionable. Elijah Hicks and Jonathan Owens are the primary options. Both have some playing experience and are solid special teams options. However, Byard is in his 30s. Brisker has a tendency to get hurt for short periods of time every year. It is understandable if the Bears wanted to add some extra insurance at the position. Perry and Strickland fit their profile of physical athletes with good versatility.
Safety isn’t the strongest position in the 2024 draft, which is probably why the Chicago Bears opted to sign a veteran replacement for Eddie Jackson rather than pick one. They’d hope Byard has a solid year and revisits the situation in 2025. Meanwhile, they would remain focused on improving the depth and overall competition. Perry or Strickland would accomplish this. It will be interesting to see if they scoop either one of them in undrafted free agency next week.