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— and now all 5 draft picks are under contract
Rich Campbell
2 minutes
Duke Shelley signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears, the team announced Thursday. All five Bears draft picks are now under contract.
Shelley, the sixth-round slot cornerback out of Kansas State, performed well in spring practices. His good positioning and awareness were obvious. His charisma also impressed the team.
While rules prohibiting tackling prevented third-round rookie running back David Montgomery from flashing his best traits — contact balance and breaking tackles — Shelley thrived in what amounted to a passing camp.
He is expected to back up veteran Buster Skrine as the nickel cornerback, but his experience playing exclusively outside in college should at least help him earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
“Duke is a confident kid,” coach Matt Nagy said June 11. “He’s twitchy. He’s always going to be scrappy and be around you, and I think he’s learning from a great player in Buster. They’re very similar. But when those pads come on (in training camp), that’s when it’s really real, and that’s when you’ve got to stick your nose in there and make a few tackles. When the pads get on will be the true tell.”
Rich Campbell
2 minutes
Duke Shelley signed his four-year rookie contract with the Bears, the team announced Thursday. All five Bears draft picks are now under contract.
Shelley, the sixth-round slot cornerback out of Kansas State, performed well in spring practices. His good positioning and awareness were obvious. His charisma also impressed the team.
While rules prohibiting tackling prevented third-round rookie running back David Montgomery from flashing his best traits — contact balance and breaking tackles — Shelley thrived in what amounted to a passing camp.
He is expected to back up veteran Buster Skrine as the nickel cornerback, but his experience playing exclusively outside in college should at least help him earn a spot on the 53-man roster.
“Duke is a confident kid,” coach Matt Nagy said June 11. “He’s twitchy. He’s always going to be scrappy and be around you, and I think he’s learning from a great player in Buster. They’re very similar. But when those pads come on (in training camp), that’s when it’s really real, and that’s when you’ve got to stick your nose in there and make a few tackles. When the pads get on will be the true tell.”