Chicago Bears May Be Hinting At Their 2nd Round Draft Plans
By Erik Lambert
Most of the focus for the Chicago Bears is what they plan to do at #8 overall in the NFL draft, but there is no way GM Ryan Pace will betray that info.
Few executives in the league have proven better at masking his 1st round intentions over the past three years than him. His plans to take Mitch Trubisky last year were considered a masterpiece in draft planning and execution by Hall of Fame GMs like Bill Polian and Ron Wolf. Odds are that same machine is in full operation for April 26th. Will it be the offensive line? Will it be a linebacker? Nobody can tell for sure. That said, things could be shaping up differently for the later rounds.
The Bears tend to operate with a keen sense of timing in the 2nd round of the draft. They tend to target positions that are deeper in their talent than others, likely in hopes of scoring a player that could’ve gone in the 1st. It was true of Eddie Goldman in 2015 and again of Cody Whitehair in 2016. It’s all about pinpointing which positions fit the bill for the given years. Based on the latest impressions in the draft community it looks like cornerback is one of those positions.
The Bears have thus ramped up their meetings with top prospects, the latest of whom could be prime options in the 2nd round.
UCF CB Mike Hughes is visiting the #Bears today pic.twitter.com/r0lvWU3tPn
— Josh Norris (@JoshNorris) April 2, 2018
#Iowa DB Josh Jackson, one of the top players at his position, has a top 30 pre-draft visit to the #Bears today, source said. They pick No. 8. He has the #Dolphins next.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 3, 2018
Persistent cornerback pursuit by Bears shouldn’t surprise
This situation may surprise some people. After all, the Bears just spent loads of money fortifying their cornerback position with long-term deals for both Kyle Fuller and Prince Amukamara. Why would they consider adding to it with another high draft choice? The answer is fairly simple. There are plenty of warning signs to suggest it’s a wise course of action.
For one Amukamara is approaching his 30th birthday. He turns 29 in June so his peak years are coming to an end. Then there’s the question of depth behind him and Fuller. Bryce Callahan is fixed on a one-year deal, as is Marcus Cooper and neither of those two can be considered reliable for varying reasons. After that, it’s mostly special teams help with Sherrick McManis.
Next: Chicago Bears 2018 Mock Draft: Shifting Towards The Defense
There’s a void there that could be exploited if one of the top starters were to get injured. A potential 2nd round pick like Hughes or Jackson would be the ideal solution to such a problem.