Chicago Bears 2018 Mock Offseason: Time to Wheel and Deal

WR. Texas A&M. Christian Kirk . 1. player. 57. Based on their free agency moves it was apparent the Bears are searching for more speed, quickness, and explosion in their offense. Lee and Richardson provide some of that but they still need a true home run hitter. That is where Christian Kirk comes in. The kid is a big play waiting to happen. Every time he touches the ball he’s a threat to score. Get him into a creative scheme that can find him space? Forget it.

Iowa. James Daniels . 1. player. 57. People will be wondering who the Bears get to replace Josh Sitton when he’s traded. That answer is easy. Cody Whitehair will slide to that position. He’s a much better fit at guard anyway. The 2018 draft class has a strong selection of centers and James Daniels is the best of the bunch. He’s got good size, moves well, is a tremendous run blocker and holds up steady in pass protection.. C

player. 57. One major rule that teams tend to ignore is making sure to not let one season in college determine a prospect. Dorance Armstrong had a down year in 2017 with just two sacks. However, the year before he was far better with 10. There’s no doubt he has the length and athleticism of an NFL edge rusher and his body type makes for a great fit in as a 3-4 outside linebacker.. EDGE. Kansas. Dorance Armstrong . 2

player. 57. Having added three quicker, faster types to the receiving corps the Bears decide to bring in a bit more size to help with their red zone packages. Javon Wims filled that role beautifully for Georgia during their national championship run with seven touchdowns. He’s 6’4″ who has chops as a route runner.. WR. Georgia. Javon Wims . 4

Marcell Frazier . 4. player. 57. There is no such thing as too many pass rushers in the NFL. The Bears are wise to continue stockpiling whenever possible. Marcell Frazier isn’t quite the athlete Armstrong is but he’s definitely athletic for his 6’5″, 260 lbs frame. He showcases an array of pass rush moves already and has room to improve his strength as well.. EDGE. Missouri

57. The trading of Bullard will open up a roster slot at defensive end the Bears should look to plug at some point. B.J. Hill was an underrated performance for N.C. State. While Bradley Chubb got the glory, Hill was doing a lot of the dirty work like stopping the run and swallowing up blockers. He’d fit the role of a 3-4 end quite well.. DE. N.C. State. B.J. Hill . 4. player

57. Adam Shaheen may be the starter but depth is never a bad thing behind an as yet unproven player. Ian Thomas didn’t get many chances to shine at Indiana but he had some memorable performances against fairly strong competition. He has size, good hands and is a decent athlete.. TE. Indiana. Ian Thomas . 5. player

57. San Diego State has a long offensive tradition but defense hasn’t had as much success over the year. That said they sometimes produce the occasional talent. Kameron Kelly quietly proves that. The 6’2″ corner showcased good versatility both in coverage, as a tackler and as a blitzer.. CB. San Diego State. Kameron Kelly . 5. player

player. 57. One of the en vogue things about safeties these days is taking ones that have backgrounds playing cornerback. The Bears have already hit on that twice with Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos. They aim to do the same here with the athletic and intelligent Natrell Jamerson.. S. Wisconsin. Natrell Jamerson . 6

57. It’s possible the Bears could lose two of their inside linebackers to free agency so it wouldn’t shock if they went after some help in the draft, even if it’s late. Joel Lanning isn’t the fast man on the field but he shows toughness, instinct and is productive when allowed to play downhill.. ILB. Iowa State. Joel Lanning . 6. player

Florida. Johnny Townsend . 6. player. 57. The Bears have dealt with mediocre punting from Pat O’Donnell for long enough. It’s time they tried for somebody new. Townsend averaged a whopping 47.5 yards per punt in 2017. He has a booming leg and shows solid accuracy on his directional kicks.. P