Bears counting on Terell Smith to provide needed depth at cornerback in talented secondary
The Bears are heading toward a momentous training camp. Veteran players will report to Halas Hall for camp on July 19. The team will hit the practice field the following day.
All eyes will be on the Bears this summer. They have the No. 1 overall draft pick in Caleb Williams, and they will be the featured team on HBO’s “Hard Knocks.”
But who are some of the under-the-radar players who could be big contributors in 2024? We are counting down the top five under-the-radar Bears this week. These could be players who are waiting for an opportunity to take on a bigger role, rookies looking to make an impact or simply a player who Bears fans aren’t talking enough about.
Here’s a look at No. 2 on the list. Check back on Friday for No. 1.
No. 2 Terell Smith
Position:
Cornerback
Experience:
Second season
Looking back:
In 2023 Tyrique Stevenson was the Bears’ rookie cornerback everybody was talking about. Rightfully so. Stevenson was a second-round draft pick (No. 56 overall) in the 2023 draft. He was a physical cornerback who slotted into the starting lineup as a rookie, but not until he won the job fair and square from another rookie.
The Bears selected Terell Smith more than 100 slots later with a fifth-round pick (No. 165 overall). Smith and Stevenson battled it out throughout the early weeks of training camp. The Bears did not view Smith as an automatic backup, despite where he was drafted. When injuries ravaged the secondary in September and into October, Smith proved himself to be capable of stepping into a starting role.
In 12 games last season, including four starts, he had 49 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and six passes defended. He proved himself to be reliable stepping in when either Stevenson or Jaylon Johnson exited due to injury.
He missed five games with an illness but was otherwise healthy throughout the season.
Looking forward:
The Bears bring back nearly the entire starting five in the secondary in 2024. Only safety Eddie Jackson is gone, replaced by veteran free agent acquisition Kevin Byard. At cornerback, Johnson and Stevenson are projected to be the starting outside corners. Kyler Gordon should resume his position as the slot cornerback. That means when everyone is healthy, Smith will be relegated to a backup role.
But that should be fine with the Georgia native who played college ball at Minnesota. With a year of NFL experience under his belt, Smith might very well develop into a high-level backup at a position that frequently deals with injuries.
Cornerbacks need to be athletic, but the Bears want their corners to be physical too. Stevenson, Johnson and Gordon all missed time due to injuries at various points in 2023. In all likelihood, Smith will be called upon to start at some point. Much like with the offensive line, an NFL team needs to have reliable backups in the secondary. Depth is often the difference between a good team and a great team.
That’s where Smith could emerge as a sneakily important piece for the Bears. Smith needs to show more as a ballhawk, but he has already shown that he can play with the physicality that Matt Eberflus is looking for in his cornerbacks.