Chicago Bears: Three players Ryan Pace could reach for in 2018 NFL Draft

Which surprise players in the 2018 NFL Draft could convince Ryan Pace and the Chicago Bears to take a risk and reach for their talent?

With mock drafts flying around and the Senior Bowl happening at this very moment, we are building up to peak 2018 NFL Draft season. And once the NFL Combine hits, Chicago Bears fans will have their head swimming with possibilities for the eighth-overall pick.

Calvin Ridley? Quenton Nelson? Connor Williams? Trade up? Trade down? Which prospects will gain steam with the NFL community after their workouts? Which ones who may have been top prospects could fall into the Bears’ range?

It’s going to be chaos. But that’s half the fun of it. And part of that fun will be to anticipate how Ryan Pace could bamboozle us all with another outside-the-box first-round draft pick.

In 2015, it was wide receiver Kevin White. Two years ago, the Bears traded up for linebacker Leonard Floyd. And last season, Pace unforgettably staked his career to quarterback Mitch Trubisky by trading up to take him second overall.

What do all of these players have in common? They were all raw players with a lot of growth ahead of them but with the potential to become superstars.

In truth, a lot of their later round picks embodied that to a lesser extent as well (think Tarik Cohen and Eddie Jackson, both of which surprised fans).

The point of all this? Always expect the unexpected with Ryan Pace. Never assume that the Chicago Bears will take a player that everyone assumes makes sense.

Pace isn’t just looking for polished players who can come in and start Day 1. He wants the diamonds in the rough: the guys who can set things on fire.

On that note, here are a few players that the Chicago Bears might reach for in the 2018 NFL Draft with visions of them turning into elite players that return this stagnant franchise to glory.