Chicago Bears absolutely crushed the 2018 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears have continued their impressive offseason with a strong showing throughout the 2018 NFL Draft.
The Chicago Bears are undoubtedly a team on the rise. General manager Ryan Pace has done a fantastic job of adding impact talent on both sides of the ball in recent years and his work in the 2018 NFL Draft may have been his most impressive job yet.
In the first round, Pace and company did a fantastic job of simply sitting back and taking the best player available. When the Bears went on the clock at number eight, Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith was clearly the best player on the board and also happened to fill a major need on the defensive side of the ball.
Smith is a big-time playmaker at the linebacker position who shines as a sideline-to-sideline defender. His combination of skills against the run, in coverage and as a pass rusher are awfully impressive and give him a ton of natural upside going forward. Simply put, the Bears found an inside linebacker who they can legitimately build their defense around in the first round.
Second Round
After snagging Smith right away, the Chicago Bears found themselves busy in the second round. First, they snagged Iowa offensive lineman James Daniels, who was considered by most to be a first round prospect. Daniels is an extremely quick and athletic offensive lineman who shines as a mobile run blocker and pass protector. Whether he plays guard or center, Daniels is an ideal fit for Matt Nagy’s zone blocking system.
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Later in the second round, Pace and company sensed an opportunity to trade up for an immediate impact player. The Bears sent the 105th pick in the 2018 draft and their second round pick next season to take Memphis wide receiver Anthony Miller at number 51.
Miller is a quick and elusive receiver who runs smooth routes and always seems to find himself open on the field. He is a perfect compliment to new number one receiver Allen Robinson and should become an early contributor for the Chicago Bears. Giving up 2019 draft capital is not ideal, but the Bears found themselves an interesting playmaker at a position of need.
Day 3
After making three major additions in the first two rounds, the Bears continued to find strong value in the third day of the draft. Their day three picks were as followed:
- Fourth Round (115th overall): Joel Iyiegbuniwe, LB, Western Kentucky
- Fifth Round (145th overall): Bilal Nichols, DL, Delaware
- Sixth Round (181st overall): Kylie Fitts, EDGE, Utah
- Seventh Round (224th overall): Javon Wims, WR, Georgia
The two middle selections stand out as the best picks for the Chicago Bears on day three. Bilal Nichols shows an impressive combination of power and athleticism that gives him exciting upside at the next level. He is a strong run defender who should provide quality depth up front from the start. I would not be surprised to see Nichols find himself as a defensive line starter before long.
Kylie Fitts struggled with a lot of injuries in college, but he was always impressive when he was able to stay on the field. Fitts is an exciting edge rusher who shows impressive burst and bend around the edge. As long as he can stay healthy, he has a bright future as a situational rusher at the next level and may even be able to work himself into being the Bears’ long-term starter opposite of Leonard Floyd.
Joel Iyiebuniwe has a well-rounded skill set and will provide some much-needed depth at inside linebacker. He is an interesting player, but Iyiebuniwe in the fourth was my least favorite selection by the Bears. Javon Wims is a big and athletic receiver who has a ton of natural upside as a jump ball receiver at the next level.
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He may not ever reach that upside, but it is easy to see Wims growing into a big-time red zone target. He was a great upside grab for the Bears with their last selection.
When it comes down to it, the Chicago Bears absolutely crushed the 2018 NFL Draft. The selection of Smith kicked off an impressive weekend for the Bears as they came in and drastically improved their roster for 2018 and beyond. They are an exciting team with a lot of natural upside going forward.