LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) -- With just more than three weeks remaining before their regular season opener, the Bears are wondering who will fill a void at cornerback. It's not a matter of competition now as much as concern.
Veteran cornerback Artie Burns suffered a torn ACL in his left knee during practice Tuesday. It was a tough blow for the 25-year-old Burns, who was hoping to prove himself in Chicago after four challenging years in Pittsburgh. For the Bears, it put their cornerback position under the microscope.
Burns filled the first-team reps at cornerback opposite of Kyle Fuller in the Bears' first full-contact practice. That role came for Burns as second-round pick Jaylon Johnson continues to be limited as he works back from surgery in March to repair a torn labrum in his right shoulder.
While the rookie Johnson is the natural fit to start at cornerback -- even if Burns was healthy -- he faces a steep learning curve to get acclimated before Chicago plays at Detroit on Sept. 13. With that in mind, the Bears are ready to test Johnson and see whether he's prepared to start.
"We all know he's coming off a deal from the offseason, shoulder, so we're being careful with that," defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said of Johnson. "But the plays that he's been out there, the controlled environment, situational stuff that he's done, he's done a great job. He can run. He's got length. He's got confidence. He's got ball skills. He's got all that stuff. But until we actually see him live.
"Someone's going to catch a ball. Allen (Robinson) is going to catch a ball on him. There's going to be a bad play. But he seems like a really confident guy. Playing that position, you've got to have amnesia. I think those are the situations that when things get a little bit tough to see how he responds."
Nickel cornerback Buster Skrine is an option to start at the outside position, secondary coach Deshea Townsend said. But that would only shift the void the Bears need to fill, as Chicago's defense primarily plays in sub packages that require an inside cornerback.
The Bears have two young options at cornerback in Kevin Toliver, 24, and Duke Shelley, 23, who could fill the void if needed.
Ultimately, Johnson should be the starter at cornerback if he proves to be healthy and ready. But there are just more than three weeks to reach that point.
"We've just got to see him play," Pagano said. "We've got to get him out there. He's just got to play and he's got to compete.
"It's going to be baptism under fire for all these young guys."
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.