Duke Shelley could be important contributor for Chicago Bears as rookie

Chicago Bears rookie cornerback Duke Shelley has a great chance to come in and make an immediate impact.

When it comes to Chicago Bears rookies who will immediately come in and contribute, running back David Montgomery is obviously the first guy who comes to mind. Montgomery was the Bears’ first pick in the 2019 NFL Draft, as they traded up to snag him in the third round.

The Bears clearly coveted Montgomery and they have an obvious need for a featured running back. Everybody expects Montgomery to play a major role for the Chicago Bears, but he is not the only rookie who can come in and make an immediate impact.

Today, we are going to focus on sixth-round cornerback Duke Shelley, who I could see carving out an important role with the Bears in 2019.

Shelley was a four-year starter at Kansas State, starring at the cornerback position. He was a true playmaker in the secondary, leaving college with eight career interceptions and 31 passes defended.

At 5-foot-9, 173 pounds, Shelley is not blessed with ideal size at the cornerback position. He is undoubtedly a true slot cornerback at the next level. However, in the modern NFL, there is nothing wrong with only being a slot cornerback. It is a starting position in today’s NFL and Shelley has the talent to have success as a slot defender.

Shelley is an extremely instinctive player who shows fantastic natural man-to-man skills. He is a lightning-quick player who defends against short routes extremely well, consistently sticking to inside receivers. He is also an extremely competitive defender who attacks the ball in the air extremely well.

After losing Bryce Callahan in free agency, the Chicago Bears will be working in a new slot cornerback this season. While Buster Skrine is the overwhelming favorite to take over the job, he is not guaranteed to have consistent success at the position. Callahan was one of the best slot defenders in the NFL, Skrine simply is not at that level and his play has slipped in recent years.

Skrine will have an opportunity to make the job his. That being said, if he slips, Shelley could quickly be in a position to take over. At worst, his competitive nature and impressive quickness and athleticism should make Shelley a real asset on special teams.

The Kansas State product does not have a perfectly clear path to immediate playing time, but he will undoubtedly have a chance to prove himself in training camp. If he shows up in camp and the preseason like he consistently did in college, Shelley will find his way onto the field in 2019.