Chicago Bears: Did Eddie Jackson’s Instagram hint at potential draft target?
By Ryan Heckman
With the 2018 NFL Draft approaching in just over a month, any and all connections to prospects must be taken into consideration.
Eddie Jackson had a stellar rookie season for the Chicago Bears. Going into 2018, he figures to be a key component to the defense taking yet another step.
The former fourth-round pick played his rookie campaign with a chip on his shoulder. After all, he is a product of Alabama and fell further than he would have liked. Crimson Tide defensive backs have a history of translating into very solid pros, and Jackson wasn’t about to let his draft position deter him from being the next in line.
Speaking of Alabama, Jackson took to Instagram on Wednesday to show the world what he was up to on that fine afternoon. Like many pro athletes, he spends much of his daily routine in the gym training.
Wednesday, Jackson was training with two fellow Tide alumni.
Interesting... From Eddie Jackson’s Instagram story pic.twitter.com/b4zRI38fDw
— DaWindyCityFS (@DaWindyCityFS) March 21, 2018
For those who may not know the guy below the obvious Julio Jones, it is none other than Alabama wideout Calvin Ridley. The three spent some time working out Wednesday afternoon, with Jackson stating “greatness” was at work.
Ridley has left subtle hints here and there, specifically on Twitter, that he wants to be in Chicago.
Calvin Ridley REALLY wants to play for the #Bears. pic.twitter.com/Q52JihYR9d
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) January 28, 2018
Jackson certainly has a relationship with Ridley, having played alongside him previously under Nick Saban. But, the real question is, where would the Bears need to move in order to take him?
It is widely known at this point that Ridley is not going to Chicago at number eight overall. He is definitely worthy of a later first round pick, but not a top-10 selection. With so many intriguing trade partners available, the Bears would likely move back in order to select Ridley if they so chose to.
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The other question worth asking is, will the Bears use a high pick on Ridley even after signing Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel? To me, it doesn’t make much sense. However, Ryan Pace never ceases to surprise us, right?