NEWSLETTER
The further the Chicago Bears slip from the playoff race, the more attention we’ll pay to the NFL Draft order.
Unfortunately, back-to-back home losses to division rivals have taken the Bears from the brink of .500, to a team eyeing a spot at the top of the draft.
To be clear, player development over the final six weeks will be of the utmost importance. But maintaining a position in the top 10 might just provide the best of both worlds (the Bears need high-end, impact talent as much as anyone).
With that in mind, here is an updated look at the top-10 for the 2018 NFL Draft, via Tankathon.com:
- Cleveland Browns (0-10)
- San Francisco 49ers (1-9)
- New York Giants (2-8)
- Denver Broncos (3-7)
- Indianapolis Colts (3-7)
- CHICAGO BEARS (3-7)
- Los Angeles Chargers (4-6)
- Cincinnati Bengals (4-6)
- Arizona Cardinals (4-6)
- Oakland Raiders (4-6)
Not only have the Bears “improved” their position, they also currently hold the eighth-highest value for their picks. Chicago currently has the sixth, 37th, 102nd, 111th, 133rd, 164th, and 198th picks in the 2018 NFL Draft. However, the team could lose that seventh-rounder (198th overall) to the Los Angeles Chargers as a condition of their trade to acquire Dontrelle Inman.
There are five other teams with 4-6 records who are currently jockeying for draft position with the Raiders, so it’s not like this draft order will be locked any time soon.
The Bears are one of three teams with a 3-7 record and could move into the top-5 depending on how the Colts and Broncos finish out the year. The team could also fall into the mix of four-win teams that could drop them to as far back as 15th. Chicago has three games remaining against teams whose records are among the 10 worst in football.
Games against the Bengals, 49ers, and Browns in Weeks 13, 14, and 16, respectively, could cement the Bears’ draft position one way or another. Then again, so could games against playoff contenders such as the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions, and Minnesota Vikings.
