The Chicago Bears and Philadelphia Eagles have struck up a decent trade partnership in recent years.
In 2018, Chicago sent defensive back Deiondre Hall to Philadelphia in a deal that netted the Bears a draft pick. A year later, the Eagles acquired Bears running back Jordan Howard in a trade that helped the Bears clear some cap space, and eventually open up snaps for David Montgomery. So it should come as no surprise to see the two sides link up on a third trade in as many years.
The latest move allowed the Bears to add a fifth-round selection, which turned into a new cornerback with a fun name (and equally fun skill set).
THE PICK (ROUND 5, PICK 163)
• Name: Kindle Vildor
• College: Georgia Southern
• Position: Cornerback
• Height, weight, hand size: 5-10, 191 pounds, 32 1/4-inch arms, 9 5/8-inch hands
STATS TO KNOW
• 2019 stats: 11 games, 2 interceptions, 8 passes defended, 3 tackles-for-loss, 27 total tackles
• Career stats: 48 games, 9 interceptions, 33 passes defended, 1 forced fumble 9 tackles-for-loss, 95 total tackles
• Position ranking: 23rd (Pro Football Focus), 24th (ESPN), 24th (Walter Football), 27th (CBS Sports)
HIGHLIGHTS
https://youtu.be/A7ixuFhmdEE
NFL COMBINE RESULTS
• 40-yard dash: 4.44 seconds
• Bench press: 22 reps
• Vertical jump: 39.5 inches
• Broad jump: 133 inches
• 3-cone drill: 7.14 seconds
• 20-yard shuttle: 4.28 seconds
THREE STRENGTHS (FROM NFL.COM’s DRAFT PROFILE)
• “Long arms and big hands for a cornerback” … You know what they say about cornerbacks with long arms and big hands, right? They get interceptions.
• “Athletic ability to play in a variety of coverages” … Versatility is king in the secondary.
• “Communicates well with safeties” … Communication is key. And as someone who has nightmares about blown coverages (I’m working on getting help there, my friends), minimizing them through good communication would be nice.
THREE WEAKNESSES (FROM NFL.COM’S DRAFT PROFILE)
• “Appears quicker than fast on tape” … There’s a difference between quick and fast. Hopefully, it’s not a major one for Vildor..
• “Inconsistent passing off receivers from zone” … Thank goodness he has that good communication thing going for him.
• “Willing to let a tackle happen without jumping in” … This is concerning, because I love corners who can tackle. Maybe that’s something that can be coached into him.
NFL.COM COMPARISON: None
WHERE KILDOR FITS
Chicago’s cornerbacks room is nowhere near as crowded as the tight end shoebox, but there is no shortage of competition.
Once you get past Kyle Fuller, Buster Skrine, and second-round pick Jaylon Johnson, we’re looking at a room featuring two free agent signees (Artie Burns, Tre Roberson), two 2019 draft picks (Duke Shelley, Stephen Denmark), two undrafted free agents from the 2018 class (Kevin Toliver II, Michael Joseph), and a corner on a future/reserve deal (Xavier Crawford). And I suppose Sherrick McManis could be thrown into the mix for the sake of fun, but he appeared on last year’s depth chart as a safety.
Vildor brings speed and ball skills to a defense that prioritizes forcing turnovers like nobody’s business. And while he’ll have quite a climb from the bottom of the depth chart, he has tools that could help him get there with a strong showing this summer.