Chicago Bears: 2018 NFL Draft grades for Day 3 picks

We take a look at the Chicago Bears’ four Day 3 picks in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Well, the third day of the 2018 NFL Draft is in the books. With that, so is the draft weekend. The Chicago Bears made their moves and their picks to select the players they think will help turn the franchise’s fortunes around. Are they now a playoff contender? In reality, we won’t know until the season kicks off in September.

After making a trade to add a second-round pick on Day 2, general manager Ryan Pace played it safe and just made his picks. He had four picks on the final day.

Let’s grade out his picks:

Round 4, No. 115 Overall — Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Linebacker

Some questioned this move. The Bears drafted Roquan Smith in the first round to play inside linebacker, so why pick another one in Joel Iyiegbuniwe? Well, the first reason is that they probably play Iyiegbuniwe at both inside and outside. He has the ability to do both. He adds depth to the linebackers corps. The second reason for this pick is that Danny Trevathan‘s days in Chicago are numbered. Yes, he is a solid linebacker when he plays. That is the key word, however — when he plays.

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In the two seasons he’s played in Chicago, Trevathan missed a total of 11 games. That doesn’t work when you’re trying to get back to your winning ways. At any rate, I see him getting cut after the season, freeing up $6.4 million of cap space. After the season, Iyiegbuniwe gets to gain some experience and steps up as a starter back inside in 2019.

Grade: B

There were some more pressing needs, but this is a good move by Pace to not just think of today, but also in the future. An inside linebacker duo of Smith and Iyiegbuniwe makes the Bears defense very dangerous.

Round 5, No. 145 Overall — Bilal Nichols, Defensive Line

The 6-4, 310-pound Bilal Nichols is an athletic beast. He ran a 4.95-40 so he can motor. He’s athletic enough to play both tackle and end on the defensive line.

Towards the end of the season in 2017, Akiem Hicks, who had the best season of his career, wore down. He played in about 95 percent of the defensive snaps and didn’t have much help on the other side. Because of that, he faced a lot of double teams.

As talented as Nichols is, he’s still raw. As with Iyiegbuniwe, he can offer depth, He can spell both Hicks and Eddie Goldman. Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris will fight for the other end spot. Eventually, however, Nichols can battle for that spot as well.

Grade: B

This pick gives the Bears really good depth on the defensive line. Many expected Pace to go and get the bigger names, but this will eventually be a very good value pick.

Round 6, No. 181 Overall — Kylie Fitts, Edge

Last season, Pace got one of the biggest steals in the draft. He picked up safety Eddie Jackson of Alabama in the fourth round. He had first-round talent, but a broken leg suffered early in the 2016 season ended his college career. Teams shied away from him, but Pace picked him up at #112 and he had a terrific season.

This year, Pace wanted to go even deeper to get another steal. He picked up Kylie Fitts on the edge. Fitts is a boom-or-bust player. He could be one of the top edge rushers in this draft class, but his injury history may prevent him from achieving that honor. When healthy, Fitts has the body (6-4, 260 pounds) to be a good edge rusher. He has the moves to get into the backfield and the speed to cover.

In his sophomore season when he was healthy, Fitts had 7.0 sacks and 40 tackles (7.0 for loss). He also defended 10 passes. In his junior season, though, he suffered an ankle injury that cost him the season after just two games. In 2017, he missed four games because of a number of injuries. In those two seasons combined, he recorded just 27 tackles (6 for loss) and just 4.5 sacks.

Grade: B-

I’ve learned from watching prospects that when they suffer through a number of different injuries in college, they usually carry over to the pro level. This is purely a pick in which Pace hopes it works out. If it does, though, the Bears’ linebackers corps becomes one of the best in the NFL.

Round 7, No. 224 Overall — Javon Wims, Wide Receiver

As many have said over and over about the Bears, Pace’s (and now head coach Matt Nagy as well) job is tied with Mitchell Trubisky’s success. As a result, he’s doing his utmost best to give him what the young quarterback needs to do just that. Here, he picks up another receiving weapon to target in Javon Wims

Wims is a receiver who is a deep threat. He has great hands and can go up and get the ball. He’s similar to Alshon Jeffery. Unlike Jeffery, Wims is still pretty raw. Jeffery was more polished when drafted, but he had some trouble in his rookie season.

At the very least, Wims may be a practice squad player. However, he has the tools to be much more. If he puts it together, he can compete for a starting job at some point.

Grade: B

I think he can make the team and contribute a little as a receiver but more on special teams in his first season. As he learns how the game is played in the NFL, he should develop into a good receiver.

Next: Bears Day 2 draft grades

Overall, this could be a really good draft. Pace did what he set out to do — improve the roster and do his best to get this team back into the playoffs. Combined with his free agency work, he has the Chicago Bears fans giddy with anticipation for the 2018 season.