Chicago Bears mock draft 2018: Quenton Nelson, Denzel Ward among targets

Quenton Nelson, Denzel Ward among Bears’ targets in latest NFL mock drafts

By Satchel Price

Ohio State defensive back Denzel Ward is proving to be a top candidate for the Bears’ first-round pick base on the latest mock drafts. | Darron Cummings/AP Photo

It’s the middle of March, spring is almost here, and you know what that means: It’s prime NFL mock draft season. Analysts around the country are spinning their predictions for who will be selected by each team, and it’s given us a lot of information to work with regarding the Bears’ No. 8 pick.

This is going to be a pivotal selection for general manager Ryan Pace given where the franchise is at. He bet big last season by trading up to acquire quarterback Mitch Trubisky, and with a core that’s pushing the team back toward competitiveness, hitting on another first-round pick would go a long way toward making opponents fear the Bears again.

There are too many mock drafts out there to count, including our own by Patrick Finley, so this can’t really be a comprehensive list. But it’s still fun to see which players are being discussed as potential targets for the Bears as the April 26-28 draft draws closer, so here’s the latest from the prominent mock drafts since the combine. Links to all of the mocks are included at the bottom of the page.

Bears 2018 mock draft first-round picks, as of March 12

*In the case of White’s mock draft, he predicts the Bears trade down from No. 8 to No. 15 while still landing Jackson with that pick. He suggests they could land a 2019 first-rounder as a result.

Here’s the breakdown of the 14 different picks by player:

Four picks for Ohio State cornerback Denzel Ward
Three picks for Iowa cornerback Josh Jackson
Three picks for Virginia Tech linebacker Tremaine Edmunds
Two picks for Notre Dame offensive guard Quenton Nelson
Two picks for Alabama wide receiver Calvin Ridley

From there, you’ll notice that cornerback seemed to be the primary target in these mock drafts with Ward and Jackson out of the Big Ten. The team could also stick with defense by adding another athletic linebacker in Edmunds, or address its needs on offense with a lineman like Nelson or a potential impact wideout like Ridley.

How the first seven picks pan out will have a major impact on what the Bears ultimately do, but with six weeks until the draft, the team still has a lot of possibilities.