![]() What are Vildor’s strengths and weaknesses? Where is he ahead of the curve, and where will he have to grow up to make it as a professional?īS: I think the strength that comes to mind is his ability in a variety of coverages. He, along with Monquavion Brinson, helped the team form one of the more outstanding cornerback duos in the conference, if not the best overall. Plenty of guys could have been discouraged and coasted considering the amount of criticism the team received from 2016-2017 but Kindle didn’t. I think it says a lot about Vildor that he didn’t let his early years as a freshman and sophomore under a poor head coach deter him from eventually becoming one of the best cornerbacks in the Sun Belt. ![]() In those two years, Georgia Southern compiled a record of 7-17. How would you describe the progression of his career?īS: 20 were some rough years for Eagle fans, as the secondary was widely considered a major weak link on those teams. A three-year starter, Vildor became one of the more decorated players in Georgia Southern history by the time his collegiate career came to a close. I think the Bears’ safety duo of Eddie Jackson and Tashaun Gipson is going to allow Vildor to play to his strengths while also having the appropriate amount of help behind him that should allow him to shine. Vildor was extremely aggressive for the second year in a row, but where that aggressiveness was a strength just a year before, it led to a lot of big plays given up as the safeties were simply not in position to help in coverage. His ball-tracking ability and his aggressiveness made him one of the best defensive backs in the conference.Ģ019 was a different story, as the Eagles’ safety play left a lot to be desired and frequently left every corner fending for themselves with no help over the top. Vildor’s coverage skills were a big part of that turnaround. Coming off of some rough years that proceeded it, Vildor and the Georgia Southern secondary truly turned a corner that year and helped the Eagles go from 2-10 in 2017 to a 10-3 record and a bowl game victory in 2018. How did the Eagles put his tenacity to its best use, and what are examples of this mentality paying off for him?īrian Stone: 2018 was Vildor’s best season, as he intercepted four passes (good for second-best in the Sun Belt that year) and defended 12, which ranked first in the conference that season, including a fantastic performance against a Clemson team that went on to win the National Championship. In fact, it’s been held up as his preeminent quality as a football player, especially against top competition such as Clemson. Many have praised Vildor’s aggressive demeanor. We got down to the bottom of his place with Georgia Southern, his trademark moment, and how the Bears are equipped to let him morph into a competitive star.ġ. To get a better sense of where Vildor is coming from, I spoke with Underdog Dynasty’s Brian Stone. That someone in this case is Kindle Vildor - an aggressive, nimble, and proficient cornerback tailor-made for the Bears’ defensive mission. But every great defense has someone waiting in the wings to take over on a whim. Even Buster Skrine, the slot cornerback of this specific Chicago defense, and once a weak link in Cleveland and New York, has shown he belongs. Kyle Fuller and young protege Jaylon Johnson have the right mix on the boundary. Eddie Jackson and Tashaun Gipson form a talented safety duo. ![]() The Bears’ active secondary has no such issues of versatility. Not possessing a quality defensive starter in the slot might as well be a death sentence. When the standard offense is centered around a three-receiver set, including a playmaker in the slot, the standard defense has to respond with at least three competent cornerbacks. (That, of course, is provided such schemes can be replicated and applied on a wide basis.) The NFL is also a league of adaptability. What one team or unit accomplishes in any one phase routinely becomes a blueprint for general managers and coaches across the landscape. It’s often said the NFL is a copycat league.
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