Immediate reaction: The Bears draft Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Velus Jones Jr.

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Ryan Poles had to wait until Day 2 of the NFL Draft to make his first picks as the general manager of the Chicago Bears. 

With the 39th overall pick, Poles upgraded the secondary by selecting cornerback Kyler Gordon from the University of Washington.

With the 48th pick, he went straight back to the secondary, selecting safety Jaquan Brisker from Penn State.

Poles finally addressed the offense in the third round with the 71st pick overall, taking WR Velus Jones Jr. out of Tennessee.

Here’s a quick look at all three players:

Round 2, Pick 39: Kyler Gordon

The 5-foot-11, 194-pound cornerback finished last season with 45 tackles, seven passes defensed, a forced fumble and two interceptions last season as a redshirt junior.

Nicholas Moreano’s initial thoughts: The Bears landed my favorite prospect in the entire draft class. Gordon gives the Bears’ secondary an immediate upgrade with a cornerback that can align on the opposite side of Jaylon Johnson.

With the draft a day away, who is everyone's favorite prospect? 🤔

I like Kyler Gordon. He can play outside and inside. Has great body control and credits his kung-fu background for that. Probably wont be there when the #Bears pick at 39, but I think he'll have success as a pro.

— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) April 28, 2022

The former Huskie also has the versatility to line up in the slot, which should allow defensive coordinator Alan Williams to have plenty of flexibility with his defense. Gordon played a lot of Cover-2 at Washington and will continue to do the same in the Bears’ defense.

According to Pro Football Focus, Gordon allowed just a 12.8 passing rating in man coverage last season. Only Ahmad Gardner, who went No. 4 overall, finished with a lower rating (12.0).

Overall, Poles drafted a Day 1 starter in Gordon and turned a weakness on the defense into a strength.

Round 2, Pick 48: Jaquan Brisker

The 6-foot-2, 206-pound safety from Penn State finished last season with 63 total tackles, five passes defensed, two interceptions and one fumble recovery as a redshirt senior.

Nicholas Moreano’s Initial Reaction: This was a bit of a surprise to be completely honest. Yes, the Bears needed a starting safety opposite of Eddie Jackson, but addressing the secondary with both picks seemed a bit much, considering all the holes still left on the offense.

With that being said, Brisker does immediately upgrade the safety position and gives Eddie Jackson a playmaking counterpart.

The Chicago Bears pick Penn State Safety Jaquan Brisker at No. 48 overall.

Only ONE touchdown allowed in 962 career coverage snaps 🔒 pic.twitter.com/aWkDbDVNER

— PFF College (@PFF_College) April 30, 2022

The Bears’ secondary had plenty of holes coming into Day 2 of the draft, but the additions of Gordon and Brisker make this unit arguably the strongest unit on the defense.

Round 3, Pick 71: Velus Jones Jr.

The 5-foot-11, 204-pound receiver ended last season with 62 receptions for 807 yards and seven touchdowns at Tennessee.

Although he finished second on the team in receiving yards, he was No. 1 in the SEC in kick return yards with 628 on 23 returns and averaged 27.3 yards per return.

What immediately stands out about Jones is his 4.31 speed. He gives Fields another deep threat alongside Darnell Mooney.

What might alarm some Bears fans is his age: Jones will turn 25 on May 11.