The reactions that immediately follow the NFL Draft are incredible. Players who profile as very good prospects are often criticized as bad picks if they don't fit a national narrative or expectation. For the Chicago Bears' 2022 NFL Draft, the selection of Penn State safety Jaquan Brisker was initially viewed as a questionable decision by General Manager Ryan Poles.
Now that a week has gone by, the narrative is shifting. It's shifted so much that Brisker is now viewed as one of this year's biggest steals.
Brisker entered draft weekend as a player who could hear his name called toward the end of the first round. He slid into Day 2, where the Bears landed him at No. 48 overall. He was named the Bears' best value pick by Bleacher Report.
"The 23-year-old can cover wideouts with ease thanks to his elite athleticism, strong awareness and instincts, great ball-tracking ability and quick closing burst.
"Brisker was projected as a Day 1 pick due to these traits, but ended up falling into Day 2, a spot where the Bears capitalized. They can now pencil him in as a starter for the foreseeable future, an immense value for a reasonably low cost."
Jaquan Brisker will make an instant impact in 2022
Poles made it clear shortly after the draft concluded why Brisker was an easy choice despite national media cries for the Bears to select a wide receiver in the second round.
“It comes down to the board and where guys are valued," he said. "And … where we sat, there were two good starting-level defensive players, and I would have made a huge mistake for this organization to say, ‘Let’s leave them there; let someone else take them,’ and we’re going to go to offense where they’re not on the same level. And then you’re kicking yourself a year or two later when that guy’s an All-Pro.”
Brisker is expected to start opposite Eddie Jackson at safety and will bring a physical element to the Bears' run defense as well as an instinctual playmaker against the pass. So, yeah, he was exceptional value in the second round.
“I love being physical,” Brisker said this week. “But at the same time, I can show my versatility in the back end. I can attack the ball, I can cover, and then obviously in the box, I love to hit."
