2018 NFL Draft: Top Team Needs for the Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears had a very busy free agency period and are now turning to the 2018 NFL Draft to fill their other team needs.

Despite spending some big-money in free agency, the Chicago Bears need to hit a home run during the 2018 NFL Draft. This is a roster that still has plenty of team needs to fill if they hope to get back into contention.

Chicago’s biggest additions came on the offensive side of the ball. Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Trey Burton will all be counted on to make life easier for Mitch Trubisky.

The free agent signings weren’t the only major offensive moves as hiring Matt Nagy as head coach is also expected to help Trubisky’s development. It’ll be interesting to see how much Nagy trusts his young signal caller.

Below are the Chicago Bears top team needs as we head towards the 2018 NFL Draft:

1. Wide Receiver

Robinson and Gabriel both represent an upgrade at wide receiver. However, Chicago’s decision to not match Cameron Meredith‘s offer sheet creates another hole. This team can’t rely on the oft-injured Kevin White and have nothing else on the roster.

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The key here is that the free agent signings mean the Bears don’t need to reach on a wide receiver in round one. They can sit back and see what type of talent is available in the middle rounds.

2. Guard

Chicago’s offensive line has some versatility which makes it tough to say this is really a position of need. They could potentially shift Cody Whitehair to guard and move Hroniss Grasu into the starting center job.

However, they may have a tough time passing on a top-end talent like Quenton Nelson if he is still on the board at pick No. 8.

3. Pass Rusher

Leonard Floyd has shown plenty of promise when healthy, but has struggled to stay on the field. Opposite Floyd, the Bears are looking at handing Aaron Lynch and Sam Acho heavy playing time. Filling this need will be a problem as this draft doesn’t have much pass rushing talent.

One option would be for Chicago to trade up in the 1st round and land NC State’s Bradley Chubb. Ryan Pace has shown in the past that he won’t hesitate to be aggressive.

4. Defensive End

Chicago’s defensive line depth is questionable at best. They don’t have a sure-fire starting defensive end to work opposite Akiem Hicks. Jonathan Bullard figures to get the first crack, but he has failed to make an impact thus far in his career.

Look for the Bears to add some defensive line talent in the later parts of this year’s draft.

5. Inside Linebacker

The combination of Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski is a solid duo. However, both have had trouble staying healthy. Chicago’s defense can’t take the next step if they don’t find consistency at the inside linebacker spot.

This is one of the reasons why they have been connected to Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds and Georgia’s Roquan Smith.

6. Right Tackle

Bobby Massie will likely get another season as the Bears starting right tackle. His plays like a roller coaster, but is steady enough that finding a replacement isn’t a high priority. The key will be for the Bears to start planning for the future.

7. Cornerback

Chicago can absolutely survive with their current cornerback group. The combination of Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara and Bryce Callahan is more than serviceable. This is more of a longer-term need or a spot to target if the best player available is a cornerback.