| Advertisement |
The Chicago Bears have seven picks in the 2018 NFL Draft, including No. 8 in the first round April 26 in Arlington, Tex. Here is a look at the Bears' five-year draft record with roster tallies reflecting totals as of the end of the 2017 season. Below that are the team's current needs heading into this draft and our projection for all their 2018 picks.
Advertisement
BEARS' FIVE-YEAR DRAFT BREAKDOWN
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017
TOTAL PICKS 6 8 6 9 5
STARTERS 1 3 3 4 2
BACKUPS 0 0 1 4 3
OTHER TEAMS 3 1 0 0 0
OUT OF LEAGUE 2 4 2 1 0
TOP 3 NEEDS IN 2018 DRAFT
1. Guard: Not only did they part ways with Josh Sitton, but Kyle Long's return to full strength isn't guaranteed. The Earl Watford signing was a move for a swing tackle/guard, not a starter. A possible solution is moving center Cody Whitehair to guard, and playing Hroniss Grasu at center. But Grasu has been a colossal disappointment his first three years and Whitehair has proven better at center than guard.
2. Pass rusher: The Bears had 42 sacks last year, but Leonard Floyd and Aaron Lynch are their only viable outside rushers, with Sam Acho merely a fourth or fifth outside 'backer type. Floyd's career has been one injury for every two or three sacks, so numbers and quality are drastically needed here.
3. Inside linebacker: Starters Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski have been injury prone. With backup Christian Jones now in Detroit, and troubled Jerrell Freeman released, all depth has vanished on the inside.
Below is a list of all seven of the Bears' picks, with players suggested by NFLDraftScout.com.
BEARS 2018 Draft (Seven picks)
Rd./overall pick: Player selected
1-8: Quenton Nelson, G, Notre Dame (6-5, 325, 5.22)
2-39: Kemoko Turay, DE/LB, Rutgers (6-5, 253, 4.65)
4-105: Foley Fatukasi, DT, Connecticut (6-4, 318, 5.16)
4-115: M.J. Stewart, CB, North Carolina (5-11, 200, 4.54)
5-145: Kyzir White, LB/S, West Virginia (6-2, 218, 4.62)
6-181: Jaleel Scott, WR, New Mexico State (6-5, 218, 4.56)
7-224: Tegray Scales, LB, Indiana (6-0, 230, 4.77)
