Chicago Bears: Post-NFL Draft offensive projections for 2018

Jordan Howard

Projections:

• 291 carries

• 1,368 rushing yards

• 7 rushing touchdowns

• 24 receptions

• 212 receiving yards

On the ground, I see Jordan Howard having his best season yet as a pro. I have him rushing for a career-high 1,368 yards in 2018. My guess, though, is that his touchdowns will be down a bit from last season’s nine — mainly due to this next guy’s usage going way up.

Getting back to Howard, though, it was great to hear Nagy state the painfully obvious a couple of weeks ago: Howard is the feature back. With the offensive line coming into formation, I see Howard’s yards-per-carry inching back up toward 5.0.

Through the air, however, Howard probably won’t shock anyone with his receiving ability. That’s not a knock on him, but again, with this next guy’s emergence, he won’t have to be great through the air.

Tarik Cohen

Projections:

• 124 carries

• 595 rushing yards

• 2 rushing touchdowns

• 52 receptions

• 436 receiving yards

• 4 receiving touchdowns

I might not be as high as some may be on Tarik Cohen, but that’s more due to the foreseeable balance that the offense will have in 2018. I don’t think there will be any superstar type of player, aside from maybe Howard, whose 1,300-plus yards could earn him a Pro Bowl trip.

Cohen is dynamic. Everyone knows that. Most importantly, the head coach now knows that, unlike last year. Nagy is planning to use Cohen as a wideout often, which might be another reason why the Bears don’t see the need to gain more talented depth than the likes of Josh Bellamy or Kevin White. They’re going to line guys up all over the place.

Cohen is going to have his moments. He’s going to give you the highlight-reel plays. When it’s all said and done, he’ll wind up with around 1,000 yards from scrimmage, which is more than you could ever ask for from your second-string back.