The following is the eighth of nine position previews in advance of training camp.

The Bears will return a strong secondary that features cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon along with safeties Kevin Byard III and Jaquan Brisker. Four of the players were chosen by the Bears in the second round of the draft: Johnson in 2020, Gordon and Brisker in 2022 and Stevenson in 2023.

Johnson has blossomed into one of the NFL's top cornerbacks. He has started all 70 games he's played in five seasons, registering 172 tackles, 49 pass breakups, seven interceptions, 11 tackles-for-loss and four forced fumbles. He has been voted to the Pro Bowl each of the past two years and was selected second-team All-Pro in 2023 when he recorded a career-high four interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown.

Stevenson has appeared in 32 contests with 30 starts in two years, compiling 164 tackles, 28 pass breakups, six interceptions, two tackles-for-loss and three forced fumbles. In last year's season opener, he produced the go-ahead score with a 43-yard interception return TD in the fourth quarter of a 24-17 comeback win over the Titans.

Gordon has appeared in 42 games with 34 starts in three seasons, recording 207 tackles, 17 pass breakups, five interceptions, 1.5 sacks, nine tackles-for-loss, four fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles.

As soon as new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen studied film of Gordon, the veteran coach knew that the fourth-year pro would be a perfect fit in the defense.

"He was a guy that when we first got in here and we watched tape, we clearly identified as a guy that fit our scheme, the things that we want to be able to do," Allen said. "We're excited about having him and look forward to getting started."

In April, the Bears signed Gordon to a three-year contract extension that runs through the 2028 season. Last season Gordon played in 15 games with 13 starts and established career highs with 75 tackles, four tackles-for-loss and three fumble recoveries.

"A lot of things that we look for in the nickel position, he has that skillset," Allen said. "He's got coverage skills. He's highly intelligent. One of the things that impressed me the most was how they played him last year. He lined up to the [wide side of the] field, but he got into the box a lot and fit in the running game. So I think he's got a really good understanding of how to fit there. Nickels are going to have to fit in the run game, and so that was one of the things that we thought was a pretty good fit for us."

Byard is back for his second season with the Bears and his 10th in the NFL. Last year he started all 17 games and generated a career high 130 tackles, seven pass breakups, one interception, 2.0 sacks, five tackles-for-loss, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Byard joined the Bears after spending his first nine seasons with the Titans (2016-23) and Eagles (2023).

Brisker is set to return after missing the final 12 games last year with a concussion. He has started all 35 contests he's played in three seasons, amassing 249 tackles, 13 pass breakups, three interceptions, 6.0 sacks, 11 tackles-for-loss, four forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.

Bears first-year coach Ben Johnson is familiar with Brisker, having faced him as Lions offensive coordinator the past three seasons.

"He is a guy that you have got to know where he is," Johnson said. "You have got to account for him. He likes to play down in the box. He likes to get involved."

Top reserve cornerbacks Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell also return this year. A 2023 fifth-round pick from Minnesota, Smith has appeared in 26 games over two seasons, compiling 68 tackles, 10 pass breakups, one interception, four tackles-for-loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

In addition to playing cornerback, Blackwell is a more than capable backup to Gordon at the nickel position and a top special teams contributor. He has played in 43 contests over three seasons with the Bears and produced 44 tackles, two pass breakups, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He was named NFC Special Teams Player of the Week after returning a punt 94 yards for a touchdown on a trick play in the Bears' season finale, a 24-22 victory over the Packers at Lambeau Field.

The Bears bolstered the cornerback position in this year's draft, spending a fifth-round pick on Zah Frazier out of Texas-San Antonio. Fraizer appeared in 29 games the past three seasons at UTSA after starting his college career at Southern Illinois (2019) and spending two years at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. Last season he was named first-team All-American Athletic Conference after setting a single-season school record with six interceptions.

"He's got really good ball skills," Allen said. "He's got speed, he's got size, he's got length. Those are all three things that we value really at any position on our defense, but in particular at the corner position."

Frazier impressed the Bears during a pre-draft visit to Halas Hall.

"This kid was unbelievable," said Bears director of player personnel Trey Koziol. "Really fun … outgoing, just really self-aware, a mature kid. He had to kind of take the long route to the NFL, going from Southern Illinois to Coffeyville to UTSA and now here. Has a lot of life experience under his belt but we absolutely loved having him in the building. He's a really great human being."

Other cornerbacks who will compete in training camp and the preseason for playing time and roster spots include veterans Ameer Speed, Nick McCloud, Nahshon Wright and Shaun Wade and undrafted rookie Jeremiah Walker.

The Bears also boast depth at safety, with veterans Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks and Tarvarius Moore all returning this year.

Owens enters his second season in Chicago and seventh in the NFL. Last year he appeared in all 17 games with five starts and generated 49 tackles, two pass breakups, one interception, one tackle-for-loss, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Owens scored the Bears' first touchdown of the year when he returned a blocked punt 21 yards in a 24-17 season-opening win over the Titans.

A 2022 seventh-round selection from California, Hicks has played in 44 games with 15 starts in three seasons with the Bears, registering 103 tackles, three pass breakups, three fumble recoveries and one forced fumble.

Moore is back for his second season with the Bears after spending five years with the 49ers. In 2024, he appeared in 11 games exclusively on special teams, producing seven tackles, tied for third most on the unit.

Also competing at safety in training camp will be second-year pro Alex Cook and undrafted rookies Major Burns and Tysheem Johnson.