2018 NFL Draft: Chicago Bears benefit from Broncos shopping pick?
How does the Denver Broncos deciding to shop the fifth-overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft help the Chicago Bears get the best first-round pick possible?
The Chicago Bears could badly use at least three quarterbacks getting picked before their pick at No. 8 comes up in the 2018 NFL Draft. And John Elway seems determined to help that possibility come to fruition.
Not long ago, Elway officially announced to the league that the fifth-overall pick in the draft was on the market.
It’s hardly an unexpected move, but it’s significant nonetheless. In particular, it tells everyone that the Broncos don’t care about drafting a quarterback at No. 5 overall, which would’ve been a prime spot for them to do so.
And, perhaps more importantly, it lets a quarterback-needy team (say, the Buffalo Bills) know that it’s officially open season to move up and potentially get their guy.
Of course, that could mean that a guy like Josh Rosen, whom some have begun to think will slide in the draft, may not fall far now. At the very least, it seems like Baker Mayfield will probably come off the board before No. 8, assuming he doesn’t alienate anyone between now and next week.
But another team moving into the top 10 still helps the Chicago Bears with their options at No. 8.
Once again, if four quarterbacks come off the board before the eight pick, it increases the chance that someone like Quenton Nelson, Saquon Barkley, Minkah Fitzpatrick or Derwin James is available for them.
In particular, if they want Nelson, they really need four quarterbacks to go early. And the Broncos pick being up for sale increases the chance of that run on quarterbacks being over with before the Bears’ slot comes along.
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At the very least, I expect that three quarterbacks will go as I doubt a team outside the top 10 would risk a move up to five for any other reason.
Also, no, Bears fans: Ryan Pace is not going to move up from No. 8 to No. 5. At this point, he simply doesn’t have the capital unless Elway asks for essentially nothing, which I doubt he will.
But I digress.
Anyway, let’s be fairly assured that three quarterbacks are gone by pick No. 5, as the Jets are taking one of them. Then, if Rosen falls, the Bears might have a shot at working a trade with Miami (No. 11), Buffalo (No. 12) or someone else to acquire more capital. If Nelson and Bradley Chubb are off the board, that could be Pace’s best option.
But even if someone trades in front of them to take Rosen, it’s still okay. They’ll still get talent falling down toward them that they can either take or possibly work a trade for.
Next: Final "Da Windy City" Bears mock draft!
Sure, we all thought it was going to come to something like this one way or another. But the fact that the Broncos have all but assured that three quarterbacks go in the first five picks allows the Chicago Bears to prep their big board a bit for who can fall.
Of course, we never quite know how things will shake out in the top 10 until it happens. But the picture is starting to take shape.