The Chicago Bears selected Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson with the 56th overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft.
General manager Ryan Poles traded up four spots with the Jacksonville Jaguars, sending Nos. 61 and 136, to land Stevenson. Cornerback was another pressing need for the Bears this offseason, and Poles made his move to get his guy.
Stevenson is an athletic and physical cornerback who will be a solid fit in a secondary that also includes Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. Stevenson has played both outside and nickel, so it’ll be interesting to see where the Bears to line him up. Gordon, last year’s top rookie, played both outside and in the slot during his rookie season.
The #Bears traded up and just took Miami CB Tyrique Stevenson at No. 56.
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) April 29, 2023
Here’s what NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein had to say about Stevenson:
Big cornerback with the size and play strength to help match up with bigger receivers in the league. Stevenson is patient but physical in press-man and has good recovery speed when he falls behind. He struggles as a pattern matcher in off-man and had issues with busts in zone, so he might be scheme-dependent. Stevenson is talented when attacking the catch point and has the ball skills to make plays on 50/50 throws. He needs to become more consistent in run support but has the physical attributes to become a starter in a press-man scheme.
