By Brad Biggs

The Bears have drafted a safety in each one of the past five drafts and would appear to be headed down that path again as they seek upgrades at a position that has become a trouble spot in Lovie Smith's defense.

The coach said last month at the scouting combine that the Bears needed to "invest" more at the position. Whether that means more money, more draft picks or both, we'll see. Today, the Bears went in for a close look at a potential sleeper in the draft.

A league source indicates that the team was present at the Tennessee State workout for Anthony Levine. They were not the only club represented. Green Bay Packers personnel man Reggie McKenzie was also in attendance as Levine ran a 40-yard dash in 4.43 seconds.
Also in attendance were representatives from the Cleveland, Kansas City, the New York Giants and New York Jets, Philadelphia, San Francisco and Tennessee. The Jets and Eagles requested film of him and the Atlanta Falcons, although not present, have shown considerable interest.

Levine, 6-foot, 193 pounds, was not invited to the scouting combine and is considered a potential late-round selection. He did 19 reps on the bench press at 225 pounds and had a vertical jump of 35 inches to go with a broad jump of 9 feet, 6 inches.

The only safety the Bears have drafted above the fourth round in the Jerry Angelo era was Danieal Manning in 2006. He's potentially in place to compete for the starting strong safety job this season. What the Bears need most is a free safety with playmaking ability, instincts and range.