Grading the Bears' selection of CB Zah Frazier in the 2025 NFL Draft
Grading the Bears' selection of CB Zah Frazier in the 2025 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears have been loading up on speedy defensive players on Day 3 in the NFL Draft. In the fifth round, the Bears selected cornerback Zah Frazier out of the University of Texas at San Antonio. Frazier is the third defensive player the Bears have taken in a row, along with defensive tackle Shemar Turner in the second round and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite in the fourth round.
Frazier is a tall and fast corner, standing at 6 feet 3 inches and 186 pounds. He showcased his speed at the NFL Combine by running a 4.36 40-yard dash and displayed his ball-hawking skills during the 2024 season at UTSA. Frazier finished tied for second in the FBS with six interceptions, which was a school record, according to NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein.
Here is our initial grade of the Frazier pick:
Draft details
Pick No. 169
Cornerback Zah Frazier
UTSA
Initial grade: B
Getting a tall and fast cornerback who produced on the field in the fifth round is a pretty good move. Cornerback is a position that you can never have too much depth, and Frazier's skillset stands out. He has excellent closing speed, and his length allows him to make plays on the ball that other cornerbacks can't. The Bears are betting on Frazier's traits, and at this point in the draft, why not?
The major concerns with Frazier are his age (he will be 25 in the fall), he spent just one season as a starter, and he faced lower competition for the most part while at UTSA. When he and the Roadrunners squared off against Texas, they allowed Quinn Ewers and Arch Manning to put up 427 passing yards and 56 points. As the season went on, though, Frazier's play improved, and he began stacking up turnovers and pass breakups. All of Frazier's picks and pass breakups came after Week 4, when conference play began. He takes chances and can make up the ground when facing poor quarterbacks. He will need to tighten up when going against better competition at the NFL level.
The Bears have done fairly well finding defensive backs late in the draft. Terell Smith in 2023, Elijah Hicks in 2022, and even Kindle Vildor in 2020 were all productive players at certain points. Taking a shot on Frazier makes sense, and he should help increase the competition at outside corner with Smith and Tyrique Stevenson.
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