The Bears started the NFL Draft by fortifying their offensive and defensive lines, then pivoted to the secondary with their second second-round pick. They chose Miami cornerback Tyrique Stevenson at No. 56 overall.
Stevenson, 6-foot, 198 pounds, had three interceptions over his final two college seasons and was the eighth corner chosen.
They were in line to pick at No. 61, but made a late trade with the Jaguars to move up. The Bears sent the Jaguars a fifth-round pick (No. 136) in the deal.
The Bears waited a long time to pick in the second round because they gave up their original pick to the Steelers in a trade last year for wide receiver Chase Claypool. That selection ended up being No. 32 overall, and Pittsburgh took Penn State cornerback Joey Porter Jr.
The Bears also went into the offseason with the No. 1 pick in the draft, but traded down to No. 9 in a swap with the Panthers and dropped back to No. 10 in a last-minute deal with the Eagles. They took Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright in that spot, then picked Florida defensive tackle Gervon Dexter in the second round at No. 53.
