The Bears Are Sniffing Around What May Be their Next Adrian Amos

The Chicago Bears drafted Adrian Amos in 2015. He was a 5th round pick from Penn State who was still acclimating to safety, having spent his early college career at cornerback. It soon became clear what his game was all about though. He was tough, physical, played good run defense and at least didn’t get constantly torched in coverage.

He was never a star, but he became a steady and dependable player for them in 2017 and 2018. That’s why Green Bay gave him such a nice new contract. However, the Bears can’t afford to think about the past anymore. They have Ha Ha Clinton-Dix for this season which is good. However, he’ll likely be gone next year searching for a more long-term deal.

That means the team may have to be proactive in searching for new options at safety. Maybe even in this upcoming draft. While most of their focus has been on running backs lately, Tony Pauline of DraftAnalyst.com spotted them attending a private workout of Kentucky safety Mike Edwards.

“The Atlanta Falcons, Chicago Bears and Baltimore Ravens had defensive backs coaches on hand for Edwards, who was the only Kentucky defensive back to workout today.”

Mike Edwards plays a lot like Adrian Amos…with better ball skills

Edwards is a fascinating prospect. He’s only 5’10 which is on the shorter side for defensive backs, but he certainly plays bigger. He comes downhill and can deliver some hard shots to ball carriers but maintains good form in his tackling. His ability to blitz out of the slot would be something Chuck Pagano likes.

What helps him stand out the most though are his instincts. Edwards was around the football a lot for Kentucky. He had 10 interceptions in his college career, demonstrating an ability to read where the quarterback was going with the ball and getting a jump to the necessary spot.

He never missed a game in his college career, showcasing his ability to play through pain. This is a young man who would look good in a Bears uniform. Expectations are he’ll be available on Day 3 of the draft. The 4th to 5th rounds are likely his range unless another team sees his qualities as worth taking a chance on earlier.