Post by Deleted on Nov 23, 2017 14:48:05 GMT -6
2018 NFL Draft: Top three draft needs for the Chicago Bears
by Khari Thompson2 days agoFollow @kdthompson5
Link: dawindycity.com/2017/11/21/2018-nfl-draft-needs-chicago-bears/
At which positions do the Chicago Bears most need to upgrade in the 2018 NFL Draft?
At this point, Chicago Bears fans can basically look forward to two things for the rest of this season: watching Mitch Trubisky develop and projecting who the team will take in the 2018 NFL Draft next year.
As usual, the Bears will have a number of positions of need to fill. In doing so, they’ll have a few fairly specific questions to answer that can help light their way.
First and foremost: can we make things easier for Trubisky, our chosen franchise quarterback?
So far, we’ve had to watch him fight through not having great talent around him, particularly in the receiving corps, to start his young career. One would hope this isn’t the start of a pattern. If it is, then Trubisky will never become what Ryan Pace and Bears fans are envisioning.
The moves the Bears make with the coaching staff will have plenty to bear on Trubisky’s fate as well, but let’s also not forget the talent deficiencies on offense. Coaching can only cover that up so much.
And secondly: how can the Chicago Bears slow down opposing passing attacks?
When healthy, the Bears have played dominant run defense at times and performed adequately against the pass. But adequate still isn’t quite enough, especially when they struggle to take the ball away.
If the Bears truly want to develop into an elite defense, they’re still a player or two away. Can they find those players in the 2018 NFL Draft?
Let’s take an early look at the biggest draft needs for the Chicago Bears in 2018. We’ll talk about things more in-depth over the next few months, but for now, this will mainly focus on the first few rounds.
Offensive line: Quenton Nelson
The Chicago Bears had a great thing going with their interior offensive line last season. In fact, the trio of Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Josh Sitton were so good that it almost made you forget how much the Bears probably needed two new tackles.
This year, injuries have challenged the offensive line’s depth, and the result has not been good.
The constant shuffling of Whitehair seems to have thrown him off track from his borderline-Pro Bowl play last year, as he’s struggled at times with shotgun snaps from center in particular. Plus, I think I’ve seen enough of Hroniss Grasu to know that I don’t want him playing meaningful snaps at center.
Also, though Charles Leno just got paid to stick around this offseason, neither he nor Bobby Massie has played especially well.
In short, don’t rule out the Chicago Bears taking an offensive lineman early in the draft.
I do have some bias here, but truthfully, the Bears could be interested in Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey or OG Quenton Nelson.
McGlinchey should be a top-10 pick and fill in at right tackle or allow Leno to slide to the right side himself. Nelson, on the other hand, is far and away the best guard in the draft and could provide insurance for injuries/the Bears parting ways with Sitton—they tried to trade him, after all, and they’d save almost $7 million by cutting him.
Texas’ Connor Williams would be another great option at tackle if the Chicago Bears were interested.
Cornerback: Josh Jackson
The last two weeks have brought the Chicago Bears’ secondary, especially the quarterbacks, back down to Earth.
Kyle Fuller spent the Green Bay game getting pantsed repeatedly by Davante Adams and didn’t make much impact against Detroit other than a solid hit on the Bears’ first defensive series and taking out Leonard Floyd’s knee.
Prince Amukamara has generally been pretty good but has struggled to stay on the field.
And good heavens, Marcus Cooper has been really bad. Two of the Lions’ biggest plays last Sunday—a 3rd-and-15 conversion and a touchdown throw to Marvin Jones—came against him as he spelled Amukamara for a few plays.
Furthermore, Amukamara and Fuller will be free agents this offseason. Do the Bears intend to shell out money to keep both? Not likely. And if Cooper keeps playing like this, he could end up hitting the street.
As such, it makes a ton of sense for the Chicago Bears to draft a corner—perhaps more than one—in 2018.
If you like conventional cornerbacks, keep your eye on Josh Jackson from Iowa. His length, speed and ball skills should immediately put him on the Bears’ radar if he ends up in the second round or the Bears grab a mid/late-first-round pick.
Another guy who should show up later in the draft is Louisville’s Jaire Alexander, who ranked as one of the nation’s best corners in 2016. Whether Vic Fangio is still here next year or not, a guy who can stick to receivers in man coverage never hurts.
Edge Rusher: Bradley Chubb
If the Chicago Bears land in the top 10 and stay there, this is the direction I most expect them to go. Here’s why.
Though Floyd looks the part of a dynamic player at outside linebacker, the Bears haven’t had any consistency opposite him.
Pernell McPhee will likely never be what he was in 2015 again, with his balky knees sapping his explosiveness and limiting his playing time. Willie Young, though he’s been productive for the Bears, turns 33 next year and has missed much of this year with a triceps tear (IR). And Sam Acho and Isaiah Irving are backups, not solutions to this problem.
For my money, I’d have to think North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb is at the top of the list for the Chicago Bears as an edge rusher. Having watched quite a few of his games over the last few weeks, he should be, anyway. He’s a monster.
Furthermore, his profile as a power rusher would seem to parallel the dynamic that a healthy McPhee has with the speedy/athletic Floyd. Knowing what it’s like to watch those two feed off one another and help make each others’ jobs easier, I’d LOVE to see Chubb starting opposite Floyd.
If they opted to go someplace else with their first pick, someone like Florida State’s Josh Sweat could interest them as a long, athletic pass rusher later on.
Adding another difference-making pass rusher could help this defense continue the ascent it has begun. At this point, it seems impossible that they won’t at least attempt to do so.
Wide Receiver: Calvin Ridley
The Chicago Bears were likely going to have one of the worse receiving corps in the league even if Kevin White and Cameron Meredith had stayed healthy.
Once they went down with season-ending injuries, things got downright brutal.
After weeks of starting Tanner Gentry and Tre McBride, refusing to consistently play Kendall Wright and then trading for Dontrelle Inman, running back Tarik Cohen still leads the team with 33 receptions. Yikes. Meanwhile, Wright has the high water mark for receiving yards at 330. That’s not going to get it done.
Bottom line: the Chicago Bears absolutely must draft a receiver that can come in and help Mitchell Trubisky immediately. There are no two ways about it.
Depending on how high they pick, I could see the Bears possibly trading down and acquiring a mid-first-round pick. If they do, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley should be in play if they want him. SMU’s Courtland Sutton should also intrigue teams as a high-upside, likely first-round prospect.
If they wait until later, though, there should still be plenty of intriguing NFL-ready options, such as Florida State’s Auden Tate and Indiana’s Simmie Cobbs.
Identify a big-time playmaker that can beat corners consistently, and get him on this team. Because we’ve seen what this Chicago Bears offense looks like without that.
by Khari Thompson2 days agoFollow @kdthompson5
Link: dawindycity.com/2017/11/21/2018-nfl-draft-needs-chicago-bears/
At which positions do the Chicago Bears most need to upgrade in the 2018 NFL Draft?
At this point, Chicago Bears fans can basically look forward to two things for the rest of this season: watching Mitch Trubisky develop and projecting who the team will take in the 2018 NFL Draft next year.
As usual, the Bears will have a number of positions of need to fill. In doing so, they’ll have a few fairly specific questions to answer that can help light their way.
First and foremost: can we make things easier for Trubisky, our chosen franchise quarterback?
So far, we’ve had to watch him fight through not having great talent around him, particularly in the receiving corps, to start his young career. One would hope this isn’t the start of a pattern. If it is, then Trubisky will never become what Ryan Pace and Bears fans are envisioning.
The moves the Bears make with the coaching staff will have plenty to bear on Trubisky’s fate as well, but let’s also not forget the talent deficiencies on offense. Coaching can only cover that up so much.
And secondly: how can the Chicago Bears slow down opposing passing attacks?
When healthy, the Bears have played dominant run defense at times and performed adequately against the pass. But adequate still isn’t quite enough, especially when they struggle to take the ball away.
If the Bears truly want to develop into an elite defense, they’re still a player or two away. Can they find those players in the 2018 NFL Draft?
Let’s take an early look at the biggest draft needs for the Chicago Bears in 2018. We’ll talk about things more in-depth over the next few months, but for now, this will mainly focus on the first few rounds.
Offensive line: Quenton Nelson
The Chicago Bears had a great thing going with their interior offensive line last season. In fact, the trio of Kyle Long, Cody Whitehair and Josh Sitton were so good that it almost made you forget how much the Bears probably needed two new tackles.
This year, injuries have challenged the offensive line’s depth, and the result has not been good.
The constant shuffling of Whitehair seems to have thrown him off track from his borderline-Pro Bowl play last year, as he’s struggled at times with shotgun snaps from center in particular. Plus, I think I’ve seen enough of Hroniss Grasu to know that I don’t want him playing meaningful snaps at center.
Also, though Charles Leno just got paid to stick around this offseason, neither he nor Bobby Massie has played especially well.
In short, don’t rule out the Chicago Bears taking an offensive lineman early in the draft.
I do have some bias here, but truthfully, the Bears could be interested in Notre Dame OT Mike McGlinchey or OG Quenton Nelson.
McGlinchey should be a top-10 pick and fill in at right tackle or allow Leno to slide to the right side himself. Nelson, on the other hand, is far and away the best guard in the draft and could provide insurance for injuries/the Bears parting ways with Sitton—they tried to trade him, after all, and they’d save almost $7 million by cutting him.
Texas’ Connor Williams would be another great option at tackle if the Chicago Bears were interested.
Cornerback: Josh Jackson
The last two weeks have brought the Chicago Bears’ secondary, especially the quarterbacks, back down to Earth.
Kyle Fuller spent the Green Bay game getting pantsed repeatedly by Davante Adams and didn’t make much impact against Detroit other than a solid hit on the Bears’ first defensive series and taking out Leonard Floyd’s knee.
Prince Amukamara has generally been pretty good but has struggled to stay on the field.
And good heavens, Marcus Cooper has been really bad. Two of the Lions’ biggest plays last Sunday—a 3rd-and-15 conversion and a touchdown throw to Marvin Jones—came against him as he spelled Amukamara for a few plays.
Furthermore, Amukamara and Fuller will be free agents this offseason. Do the Bears intend to shell out money to keep both? Not likely. And if Cooper keeps playing like this, he could end up hitting the street.
As such, it makes a ton of sense for the Chicago Bears to draft a corner—perhaps more than one—in 2018.
If you like conventional cornerbacks, keep your eye on Josh Jackson from Iowa. His length, speed and ball skills should immediately put him on the Bears’ radar if he ends up in the second round or the Bears grab a mid/late-first-round pick.
Another guy who should show up later in the draft is Louisville’s Jaire Alexander, who ranked as one of the nation’s best corners in 2016. Whether Vic Fangio is still here next year or not, a guy who can stick to receivers in man coverage never hurts.
Edge Rusher: Bradley Chubb
If the Chicago Bears land in the top 10 and stay there, this is the direction I most expect them to go. Here’s why.
Though Floyd looks the part of a dynamic player at outside linebacker, the Bears haven’t had any consistency opposite him.
Pernell McPhee will likely never be what he was in 2015 again, with his balky knees sapping his explosiveness and limiting his playing time. Willie Young, though he’s been productive for the Bears, turns 33 next year and has missed much of this year with a triceps tear (IR). And Sam Acho and Isaiah Irving are backups, not solutions to this problem.
For my money, I’d have to think North Carolina State’s Bradley Chubb is at the top of the list for the Chicago Bears as an edge rusher. Having watched quite a few of his games over the last few weeks, he should be, anyway. He’s a monster.
Furthermore, his profile as a power rusher would seem to parallel the dynamic that a healthy McPhee has with the speedy/athletic Floyd. Knowing what it’s like to watch those two feed off one another and help make each others’ jobs easier, I’d LOVE to see Chubb starting opposite Floyd.
If they opted to go someplace else with their first pick, someone like Florida State’s Josh Sweat could interest them as a long, athletic pass rusher later on.
Adding another difference-making pass rusher could help this defense continue the ascent it has begun. At this point, it seems impossible that they won’t at least attempt to do so.
Wide Receiver: Calvin Ridley
The Chicago Bears were likely going to have one of the worse receiving corps in the league even if Kevin White and Cameron Meredith had stayed healthy.
Once they went down with season-ending injuries, things got downright brutal.
After weeks of starting Tanner Gentry and Tre McBride, refusing to consistently play Kendall Wright and then trading for Dontrelle Inman, running back Tarik Cohen still leads the team with 33 receptions. Yikes. Meanwhile, Wright has the high water mark for receiving yards at 330. That’s not going to get it done.
Bottom line: the Chicago Bears absolutely must draft a receiver that can come in and help Mitchell Trubisky immediately. There are no two ways about it.
Depending on how high they pick, I could see the Bears possibly trading down and acquiring a mid-first-round pick. If they do, Alabama’s Calvin Ridley should be in play if they want him. SMU’s Courtland Sutton should also intrigue teams as a high-upside, likely first-round prospect.
If they wait until later, though, there should still be plenty of intriguing NFL-ready options, such as Florida State’s Auden Tate and Indiana’s Simmie Cobbs.
Identify a big-time playmaker that can beat corners consistently, and get him on this team. Because we’ve seen what this Chicago Bears offense looks like without that.