2020 NFL draft: Best players available for Bears heading into Day 2

The first round of the 2020 NFL draft has come and gone, and while the Bears didn’t make any selections on Thursday, the first night of the draft was extremely kind to them.

They ride into Day 2 of the draft with two second-round picks and plenty of talented prospects to choose from. While the players who go ahead of them in the second round remain to be seen, odds are they could pick up a player with a first-round grade on the board with either No. 43, 50 or wherever they end up picking.

To preview what to expect in the second and third rounds of this year’s draft, here are the top 50 players still available on my board, as well as several prospects the Bears could consider when they’re on the clock.

Potential Bears Round 2 targets:

S: Xavier McKinney, Grant Delpit, Antoine Winfield Jr., Jeremy Chinn, Kyle Dugger

The value at safety is nothing short of impressive heading into the second round, mostly because no safeties got drafted in the first round.

The odds are very strong that at least one of these listed safeties will be available for the Bears to select. Both McKinney and Delpit carried first-round grades on my board, while Winfield placed No. 29 overall on my composite board. McKinney brings sharp instincts, fluidity and a well-rounded game, Delpit possesses stellar size, very good range and quick diagnosing abilities, while Winfield has the ball skills and the intelligence to play like a heat-seeking missile when attacking the ball. If all three of those players somehow get selected before Chicago picks, then a freakishly athletic hard-hitter like Chinn or Dugger could be worth a look.

All five aforementioned safeties are talented coverage safeties who offer high ceilings at the next level. Given their hole at the position in their starting lineup, the Bears would be wise to at least consider using one of their second-round selections on a safety with how good the value is at the position.

WR: Denzel Mims, K.J. Hamler, Laviska Shenault Jr., Chase Claypool

While six wide receivers were selected in the first round of the 2020 draft, there is still plenty of talented at the position as we head into Day 2.

Mims in particular is a surprising option this late, as many expected him to go in the first round. His combination of size and speed makes him an enticing physical specimen at this stage of the draft. Hamler is a quick-twitched speedster with great agility in space, while Shenault is a hard-nosed and agile playmaker who can run past, around, or through defenders after the catch. Keep an eye out for Claypool, too, as he offers a palpable physical mismatch, whether one places him at receiver or tight end.

If the Bears want to add some more firepower to their offense, then they could find just that in this receiver class. The talent that’s still on the board offers plenty to like in the second round.

OL: Josh Jones, Lloyd Cushenberry III, Robert Hunt, Matt Hennessy, Ezra Cleveland

The fact that seven offensive linemen were selected in the first round on Thursday was not surprising, considering the talent at offensive tackle in this year’s class. That said, some of the expected suspects are available heading into Round 2.

Many thought Jones would be a first-round selection given the strong need for an offensive tackle in this year's draft, and he enters the second round as the top offensive lineman available. Cushenberry brings good technique and power to the interior offensive line, Hunt brings a nasty and ruthless edge and projects to the same position, while Hennessy is a technically-sound and intelligent player in the trenches. Though he’s not in my top 50 for the best players available, Cleveland could be selected early due to his length and raw athleticism.

The Bears may not find the best value at offensive line unless they trade back, but there should be starting-caliber players available whenever it’s their turn to pick.

CB: Kristian Fulton, Jaylon Johnson, Trevon Diggs

The first round saw six cornerbacks come off the board, and while the crop of prospects at the position is thinner than expected, there are still some players worth considering in the second round for the Bears.

Fulton is a fluid and technical cornerback with good footwork and Day 1 starting potential, though his year-long suspension in 2017 for tampering with a urine sample for a drug test could turn Pace off to him, as the Bears’ general manager normally doesn’t draft players with off-the-field concerns. Johnson is a lengthy and physical corner with good fluidity, while Diggs is a bit more raw than his colleagues, but his length, size, physicality and ball skills give him arguably the highest ceiling of the bunch.

With no set starter alongside Kyle Fuller at the moment, the Bears could look to draft a cornerback early on in this year’s draft. If they plan on doing so in the second round, they should have their fair share of fascinating choices.