Bears Mock Draft 2018: Projecting Every Pick for Full 7 Rounds

The Chicago Bears were one of the premier pieces of last year's draft with the move up for Mitchell Trubisky.

General manager Ryan Pace and the front office's approach to the 2018 NFL draft should be more reserved by comparison, as they sit in a good position with the eighth pick and have a handful of clear-cut needs to address in a deep class. 

The depth of the class could perhaps encourage more movement from the front office as it looks to acquire more assets, but nothing is going to match the move at the top of last year. That isn't meant to disappoint, though—Pace did well with the rest of his limited picks a year ago too, nabbing quality contributors such as Eddie Jackson and Tarik Cohen. 

Bears fans still have it more enjoyable than most given Pace's unabashed track record of digging up unknowns from small schools. Last year, three of his picks came from Ashland, North Carolina A&T and Kutztown, so the gloves should again be off as he tries to patch holes along the offensive line and in the middle of the defense. 

Let's take a look at a mock draft based on team needs and the ever-updating prospect stock market. 

Round 1 (8)

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Quenton Nelson, OL, Notre Dame

It's not often a team gets to sit on its hands at No. 8 and have a generational prospect fall in its lap, yet here we are with Notre Dame's Quenton Nelson.

A prospect being "generational" is one of the more misused terms when it comes to the draft lately, yet it fits Nelson perfectly. He's a 6'5", 325-pound monster of a player who pops off film because of his nasty streak often completely eliminating at least one defender from a play on every down. 

Players such as Nelson simply don't come around often. He's got explosive power to move grown men, winning the leverage game easily; and he's got the superb athleticism and intelligence to clean up his assignment and then pick up for somebody else's slack. 

Look at it this way: There's a reason why NFL.com's Lance Zierlein compares Nelson to Larry Allen.

There's also a reason why ESPN.com's Jeff Legwold ranks him as the top player in the class. He wrote: "Yes, he's a guard, and yes, personnel executives do not believe in taking a guard this high on the board. But in technique, approach and ability to finish, he is simply the best football player in this draft. And he has potential to grow."

It's a dream scenario for the Bears to put Nelson in front of Trubisky, yet it's also not so unrealistic given the guaranteed run sure to start at quarterback right with the first pick. 

Round 2 (39)

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Anthony Miller, WR, Memphis 

With the biggest need out of the way, it's time to keep doing the most important thing on the Bears' menu—making sure an investment like Trubisky succeeds. 

These Bears "won" free agency with Allen Robinson but also let the promising Cameron Meredith slip away, perhaps in large part due to medical reasons. 

Either way, the second round is a good time to add a premium boundary player such as Anthony Miller out of Memphis. Standing at 6'2" and 201 pounds with 1,462 yards and 18 touchdowns to his name as a senior last year, he is a late-rising prospect because it's clear his skill set paired with the right coaches will help an offense in a big way. 

NFL.com's Chad Reuter noted Miller is the most underrated wideout in the class: 

"There hasn't been a lot of buzz around Miller this off-season. Those that paid attention during the fall, though, know that he's a tough customer who can make defenders look silly in the open field. He could be a Randall Cobb-type receiver, and probably won't be picked until the second round or early in the third round."

Chicago will have plenty of options at wideout, yet getting ahead on a guaranteed run at the position makes sense. This is especially the case for a team that would love to have a chess piece like Miller to move around while Robinson goes to work.

The Bears still seem to be hoping for something of a Kevin White resurgence, so Miller is both good insurance and a piece they can use right away to help along their franchise quarterback. 

Round 4 (105)

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North squad defensive end Ogbonnia Okoronkwo of Oklahoma in action during the North teams practice for Saturday's Senior Bowl college football game in Mobile, Ala.,Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Edge, Oklahoma 

The Bears need reliable edge pieces who can get after quarterbacks after a guy named Leonard Floyd. 

As Chicago fans know, Floyd has had a hard time staying healthy anyway, so adding a prospect such as Ogbonnia Okoronkwo out of Oklahoma goes a long way toward reinforcing the rotation and depth at a premium position teams can't win without. 

The draft process has pumped up Okoronkwo a bit, but he's a fall candidate in large part due to his size at 6'1" and 253 pounds, not to mention the depth of the class. 

It will be hard for the Bears to complain about plucking Okoronkwo out of a fall. He isn't going to terrorize defenses against the run, but he's shown some interesting coverage traits and can get after the quarterback in a timing-based approach that gets creative in how it sends guys into the backfield. 

Likely one of the better bargains of the draft outright, Okoronkwo arrives as a rookie ready to make an impact right away. 

Round 4 (115)

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JC Jackson, CB, Maryland 

An extra pick in the fourth round means grabbing value and upside at a premium spot—and it doesn't get much more premium than with a boundary corner. 

The Bears struck out two offseasons ago on big names in this regard but still found a gem of a free agent with Prince Amukamara, and they then got a surprising season from Kyle Fuller. While both return, Pace and the front office have to know they would be playing with fire if they sit on their hands at the position in today's passing league. 

JC Jackson out of Maryland is a notable press-cover corner who also plays zones well and is brimming with upside. He's 5'10" and 201 pounds of physical play whose odd course through the collegiate game has stock evaluators all over the place on him. 

At the end of the day, though, Pace and the Bears will like the schematic fit and the insurance he provides behind more experienced players while he learns and perhaps gets ready to take over. 

Round 5 (145)

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Joe Ostman, Edge, Central Michigan 

There is no such thing as too many quality pass-rushers on rosters these days, something Chicago learned the hard way over the past couple of years when guys kept going down with injuries. 

Joe Ostman out of Central Michigan is a nice mid-round way to bolster depth for the unit. He's 6'3" and 255 pounds of strong collegiate production who can come in right away and make a difference on special teams. 

Here's what NFL.com's Lance Zierlein had to say in his scouting report:

"However, it will be much tougher to succeed with his linear playing style against longer, stronger competition in the NFL. Ostman may lack desired size attributes but he has enough working in his favor to give him a shot at making a team as a backup 3-4 outside backer with special teams value."

A fifth-round pick who can make the final roster and impact at least one unit right away is a good value. Even better, Ostman has a chance to develop into a rotational presence with the defense. 

Round 6 (181)

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Kentavius Street, DE, North Carolina State

The Bears aren't going to shy away from good value in the late rounds, especially if it comes at a position of need. 

Kentavius Street out of North Carolina State took a big stock hit recently, tearing his ACL at a pro day and hurting what was mid-round stock. 

Before the setback, Street was (and still is) an intriguing 6'2", 280-pound prospect who can get leverage and hold strong on the edge against the run. This should remain true as soon as he gets back from injury, even if he's falling down boards as a result. 

Street's arrival in Chicago isn't about supplanting either of the starting ends by any means. He's a high-upside pick they can pluck out of a fall and eventually add to the gameday roster to bolster depth, if not explore options when it comes to his bulking up to shift inside. 

Round 7 (224)

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Greg Senat, OT, Wagner 

Pace and the Bears showed last year they weren't afraid to take an offensive tackle with upside, so why not start and end the draft with an interesting name in the offensive trenches? 

Greg Senat out of Wagner is the interesting name here. He's 6'6" and 302 pounds of interesting upside in large part because of a frame still capable of packing on more muscle. He's a practice-squad candidate while he adds bulk and works on technique, but the physical traits are something teams should seek in the late rounds.

For the Bears, Senat resembles a late-round win in that he's a moldable piece for the future with a chance to one day make an impact. If not, what was otherwise a strong class will cover for the strong gamble.