Mel Kiper Jr. has Bears taking Calvin Ridley at No. 8

It would be an incredible upset if the Bears don’t target a wide receiver with their 8th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Wide receiver Kevin White, their No. 1 pick from 2016, has played just five games in two seasons due to injuries.

Cam Meredith, their leading receiver from two years ago, sat out the entire 2017 season after tearing his ACL and MCL in the preseason.

The Bears ranked last in the NFL this season in passing yards with 2,811. Their leading receiver, Kendall Wright, had 614 yards. Next was Josh Bellamy with 376.

Quarterback Mitch Trubisky clearly needs help.

For those reasons, ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. believes the Bears will select wide receiver Calvin Ridley of Alabama with the 8th pick of the draft. Kiper tabs Ridley as the top receiver in the draft “by a wide margin.”

Here’s what Kiper said about the Bears’ selection in his mock draft 1.0: “Chicago has to add weapons, and Ridley is the best receiver in this class by a mile. If the Bears can get a pass-catcher here — and don’t upgrade in free agency — Ridley makes the most sense. If he had played in a better passing offense, he could have been a Biletnikoff winner. He’s extremely talented.”

Kiper has the Cleveland Browns taking quarterback Josh Allen of Wyoming with the No. 1 pick. He has UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen going to the New York Giants with the second pick, followed by North Carolina State defensive end Bradley Chubb to the Indianapolis Colts, Penn State running back Saquon Barkley to the Cleveland Browns and USC quarterback Sam Darnold to the Denver Broncos at No. 5.

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