The Bears have been the beneficiaries of good cornerback play in recent years, dating back to when Tim Jennings and Charles Tillman combined to form one of the better tandems in the NFL.

According to Ike Taylor of NFL.com, Chicago’s secondary will include a top-five duo in 2016:

5) Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter, Chicago Bears In 2015, this pair led a Bears defense that ranked fourth in the league in passing yards allowed. In Fuller’s first two NFL seasons, I’ve seen that he possesses all of the intangibles to be a great corner — height (5-11), speed, coverage skills and anticipation. When Fuller was targeted last year, his opponents caught less than 50 percent of their passes. Porter, who played a valuable role in theSaints’ run to Super Bowl XLIV, came on strong late last season after missing the first two games. This year, I expect Fuller and Porter to lead an improved Bears’ defense — with offseason additions Danny Trevathan and first-round draft pick Leonard Floyd.

Despite the general narrative around Fuller that suggests he’s underperformed since the second half of his rookie season, Taylor’s assessment of his performance last year is dead on.

According to Pro Football Focus, Fuller graded as a top-40 cornerback in 2015, finishing the year with a 77.3 overall grade (tops on the team). Porter, on the other hand, received a 50.5 score which is just above the replaceable range on PFF’s scale.

Porter’s impact on the Bears extends well beyond the story analytics tells. Sure, he had some lapses in coverage, but he became the alpha-male of the secondary and provided the much-needed attitude and leadership it was missing.

One of the reasons why Porter and Fuller combine to form a really good duo is their complementary traits.

Porter was a much better run defender than Fuller last season, whereas Fuller was stronger in coverage. If either player can elevate the weaker aspect of their game, the potential is there for the secondary to be one of the better groups on the team.