For the second year in a row, the Chicago Bears targeted a cornerback in the second round of the draft. This time, however, they moved up to get their guy. Shortly after they selected defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. with the No. 53 pick, general manager Ryan Poles traded up with the Jacksonville Jaguars at No. 56 to select cornerback Tyrique Stevenson out of Miami. His selection comes one year after Poles drafted cornerback Kyler Gordon in the second round.
Stevenson is a physical defender who has the size to matchup with receivers on the outside. He should compete right away for the outside corner job with Kindle Vildor, while Jaylon Johnson mans the other side and Gordon plays in the nickel position. The Bears sent the No. 61 and No. 136 pick to the Jaguars for the selection as they continued to focus on defense.
But who are the Bears getting in Stevenson and what does he bring to the table? Here are five things to know about the new rookie.
1. Stevenson is a physical cornerback
The Bears value a certain type of defensive back and that’s a player who can play receivers physical. They showed that when they drafted Jaquan Brisker last year in the second round and again with Stevenson this year. Stevenson can bully bigger receivers off the line, throwing off their routes. If the Bears can do a better job of getting after the quarterback, those skills could lead to turnovers in the secondary.
2. He led Miami in pass breakups last season
Stevenson may not have the gaudy interception numbers that other players have, but he was impressive when it came to breaking up passes. In 2022, Stevenson led the Hurricanes in pass breakups with seven in 11 games. Some were bigger than others, including one that saved Miami in triple overtime to force a fourth against Virginia. The Hurricanes wound up winning the game that very next series.
3. Stevenson played for Luke Getsy in the Senior Bowl
Do we need to start asking Poles if offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is really the person running the draft after all? Kidding aside, Stevenson is the second player the Bears drafted who not only was a participant at this year’s Senior Bowl, but was coached by Getsy himself. Stevenson was part of the American team and performed well in practice as well the game. The only knock on him was he got a little too physical with some of the players he was covering, resulting in would-be penalties. The good news, however, is he was only cited for one pass interference penalty in 2022 according to Jake Marcus of the State of the U (via Ryan Dorschel) so perhaps it won’t be too much of a concern at the next level when the games count.
4. He transferred out of Georgia
Though he made a name for himself as a Miami Hurricane, Stevenson began he collegiate career with the Georgia Bulldogs. Stevenson played two years with the Bulldogs in 2019 and 2020 primarily as a nickel cornerback. He totaled two interceptions, 47 tackles, and one sack during his time in Athens. He transferred to Miami after the 2020 season, where he was able to play outside cornerback.
5. He's been compared to Antrel Rolle
Shortly after Stevenson arrived at Miami, he was already drawing comparisons to legendary former Hurricanes. In a ranking of the top 50 Miami players prior to the 2021 season done by The Athletic, Stevenson was compared to former NFL Pro Bowl and Hurricane safety Antrel Rolle. “He reminds me of a bigger version of Antrel Rolle,” said a scout after a scrimmage. “He’s a dynamic guy who could be a first-rounder because he’s big and physical and can play corner and safety.” Of course Stevenson wasn’t a first-round player but that’s still high praise for the new Bear. Coincidentally, Rolle finished his decorated career with the Bears back in 2015.
