NFL Draft Pre-Gamin’ (7:00 CT): Bears Picks, Broadcast Info, Draft Thread, More (Update: Bears Take LB Roquan Smith)

UPDATE (Post to Follow): The Bears have selected Georgia linebacker Roquan Smith with the eighth overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/989670664574562311

There have been 116 days since the NFL season came to an end and we officially went on draft watch. But we’ve made it. Finally.

Our long journey begins to wind down to its end this evening with the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft.

It’s the last phase of what has been a critical offseason of change for the Chicago Bears. The franchise is armed with a new head coach in Matt Nagy, a general manager in Ryan Pace who has a fresh extension and a new lease on life as a football talent evaluator, and a slew of free agent additions hoping to turn it around in 2018.

The Bears have needs at pass rusher, offensive line, wide receiver, at linebacker, and in the secondary entering this weekend. Ideally, Pace uses this weekend to add some potential long-term solutions to positions that have been problematic to fill in recent years.

Pace’s first two drafts were solid. The third will be judged on how Mitch Trubisky performs moving forward. Trubisky’s play moving forward very well could hinge on who the Bears draft this weekend.

Let the games begin.

Draft Info

Location: AT&T Stadium; Arlington, Texas

Dates and rounds: April 26 (Round 1), April 27 (Rounds 2-3), April 28 (Rounds 4-7)

Round 1 start time: 7 p.m. CT

How to watch/stream: ESPN, ESPN2, FOX, NFL Network

Bears Picks

As a reminder, the Bears do not have a third-round pick as it was sent to San Francisco in the Mitch Trubisky trade last year. Had the Bears not made that deal, they would be owners of the sixth pick in the third round – which happens to be the 70th overall selection.

First-Round Order

1. Cleveland Browns
2. New York Giants
3. New York Jets (via Indianapolis Colts)
4. Cleveland Browns (via Houston Texans)
5. Denver Broncos
6. Indianapolis Colts (via New York Jets)
7. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
8. Chicago Bears
9. San Francisco 49ers
10. Oakland Raiders
11. Miami Dolphins
12. Buffalo Bills (via Cincinnati Bengals)
13. Washington Redskins
14. Green Bay Packers
15. Arizona Cardinals
16. Baltimore Ravens
17. Los Angeles Chargers
18. Seattle Seahawks
19. Dallas Cowboys
20. Detroit Lions
21. Cincinnati Bengals (via Buffalo Bills)
22. Buffalo Bills (via Kansas City Chiefs)
23. New England Patriots (via Los Angeles Rams)
24. Carolina Panthers
25. Tennessee Titans
26. Atlanta Falcons
27. New Orleans Sants
28. Pittsburgh Steelers
29. Jacksonville Jaguars
30. Minnesota Vikings
31. New England Patriots
32. Philadelphia Eagles

Draft Thread

Your draft thread is down in the comments, so let’s have some good, clean (safe-for-work) fun. Can’t wait to do this again when games actually matter with a coaching staff that is ready to unveil some new and exciting offensive concepts.