The Chicago Bears are in top off-season form. They’ve done a masterful job yet again of completely hiding what their intentions are for the #8 overall pick. Everybody has an opinion but none have solid evidence to go on. Just rumor. The Bears will trade back. No, they’ll trade up. No, they’ll take a defensive player. Don’t be ridiculous, it’s offensive line all the way.
Dig through forums, chat groups and social media enough and everybody has differing stances. So perhaps the best thing to do is arrange the players who are either connected to the Bears or make the most sense for them and rank them in order of most likely to be selected. Get ready for a surprise (or two).
LIKELIEST CHICAGO BEARS PICK AT 8TH OVERALL
#5: Quenton Nelson (OG, Notre Dame)
How can this guy only be #5? Rest assured Nelson isn’t placed here because of talent. Measurements and tape prove that he might be the best guard prospect to come out of college in decades. He’s a monster with size, fluidity and raw power that breaks almost every defensive lineman he comes across. Not to mention his nasty disposition.
This has everything to do with whether or not he’ll even be available. Nelson is widely considered one of the two or three best prospects in the entire draft. A number of teams in the top seven have needs along the offensive line including New York (#2), Denver (#5) and Indianapolis (#6). The odds of him slipping to Chicago through all that is remote.
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#4: Derwin James (S, Florida State)
“Absolute alpha in the locker room. Comes up to handle film sessions on weekends. When he talks, players listen.”
That was in the NFL.com scouting report on James. It’s clear he takes the leadership and mental side of the game seriously. Throw in the fact he’s 6’2″ with 33-inch arms and 4.46 speed. This kid is a monster waiting to be unleashed. Oh and he was compared to Eric Berry, somebody Matt Nagy is quite familiar with. No disrespect to Adrian Amos, but James’ talent and ceiling far surpasses him. He sounds like a player Ryan Pace would instantly gravitate to.
#3: Roquan Smith (ILB, Georgia)
One must not forget. Christian Jones is gone. Jerrell Freeman is gone. Danny Trevathan has a long and lengthy list of injuries in his history. This defense relies on its inside linebackers a lot. When it’s got good talent in place, as it did in San Francisco, domination can follow. When it doesn’t? Things tend to sag in other areas. Is Nick Kwiatkoski ready to step up?
Teammates seem to think so. He’s gained experience the past couple years and flashed potential. Still, it’s hard not to feel like the Bears might be taking a step down. That would cease the moment they grabbed Roquan Smith. He proved throughout last season to be a hunter. Arguably the best defensive player in college football. He’s fast, athletic, instinctive and just finds the football. Keep blockers off him? He’ll make life miserable for offenses.
#2: Denzel Ward (CB, Ohio State)
Pre-draft buzz has connected Ward to the Bears for weeks now. He’s the consensus cornerback in the 2018 class. A fluid athlete with top tier speed who shows on tape that he can stick to any receiver like glue and make plays on the ball if tested too often. No team can ever have enough good corners, especially in a division stacked with quarterbacks.
If he were 2-3 inches taller he’d likely be #1. Ward is only 5’10”. Everybody knows that defensive coordinator Vic Fangio covets corners who bring size and length. Small defensive backs tend to get beaten by bigger receivers but also struggle to stay healthy. Just look at Bryce Callahan. Still, with Prince Amukamara approaching 30, this move makes sense.
#1: Harold Landry (EDGE, Boston College)
Let’s set the backdrop here. The Bears have two, count them, two edge rushers on their roster with any significant starting experience. One, Leonard Floyd, is coming off a season-ending knee injury. The other, Aaron Lynch, has 2.5 sacks in the past two years and just tweaked his ankle in a minicamp practice. After that? Not much.
Worse still? The edge rusher crop in 2018 is considered thin. Any team that waits until the later rounds to get one will be disappointed. People think Harold Landry lacks size and length. Both are true to some extent, but Pace likes athletes. Landry proved at the combine he has the specific traits of a successful NFL pass rusher. He’s drawn close comparisons to Pro Bowler Vic Beasley. He should be available when they go on the clock.
Everything points to him.
