The scouting combine for 2018 is over. It featured plenty of intrigues, surprises, and inspirational stories. Also, like most combines, it largely set the final image of how the NFL draft will go this coming April. At least for the first 10 picks that is. Teams had an idea of where certain players stood going into the combine. The event likely confirmed most of their suspicions. That includes the Chicago Bears.
GM Ryan Pace has already had a stellar reputation for draft espionage. Not a single person with any credibility for being a draft insider saw his pick of Mitch Trubisky coming last year. It was a bombshell that impressed several former GMs for its incredible secrecy. So can anybody say for sure they know what the Bears plan to do?
That being said, there is something to take from what certain people around the league might think they’ll do. A source reached out to me regarding what the general buzz is around how the top 10 of the draft will unfold. Though the situation remains chaotic, the consensus at this point paints an interesting picture.
Chicago Bears believed to have aim towards bolstering the offense
“The feeling in league circles is Cleveland is taking (Saquon) Barkley #1 and (Baker) Mayfield at #4. The Giants are taking (Sam) Darnold. Denver will have to settle for (Josh) Rosen or (Josh) Allen and the Bears are planning on taking Quenton Nelson.”
Much of this comes out of the combine results. Barkley tore the event up with absurd numbers. The belief is Cleveland doesn’t want to risk losing out on what could be a generational talent, even if it is a running back. Since they also hold the #4 pick, it presents them a perfect chance to still get a top quarterback.
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Near unanimous expectations are that N.C. State pass rusher Bradley Chubb will go to Indianapolis at #3. With Kirk Cousins favored to sign in Minnesota, that will force Denver to draft a QB at #5, be it Rosen or Allen. The Jets would be forced to scoop up the leftovers between those two, leaving just the Buccaneers as the lone obstacle between the Bears and Nelson.
It’s a perfectly viable scenario that carries plenty of sense behind it. Of course, the one thing that remains completely impossible to predict is trades. This idea features zero trades. Only two of the past eight drafts (2010 and 2015) saw the entire top 10 go by without a single trade happening. So while it’s not unprecedented, it’s become rare. Still, if it happens this way the Bears would get themselves a damn good football player.
