NFL Mock Draft 2018: Complete 7-Round projections
8. 57. Denzel Ward. Cornerback. Ohio State. player. Scouting Report. Pick Analysis
The Chicago Bears had five selections in the 2017 NFL Draft. They used four of them to fortify the offense, headlined by No. 2 overall selection Mitchell Trubisky. Now it’s time for Chicago to address the defense, and they’ll have their pick of the best defensive prospects available to them at pick No. 6.
Given that the best safety (Minkah Fitzpatrick) and the best pass rusher (Bradley Chubb) will be off the board the Bears will have to decide whether they want to prioritize cornerback or inside linebacker. Nick Kwiatkoski and Danny Trevathan were a terrific combination at linebacker last season, which makes addressing the secondary seem like the more prudent route.
Denzel Ward, the consensus top cornerback prospect in this draft, will be the Bears’ first round pick. Ward doesn’t have gaudy numbers, but that’s partly because he became a starter this past season, backing up a pair of 2016 first round picks, Marshon Lattimore and Gareon Conley. Ward wasted no time making an impression in 2017. His speed and athleticism make him a plug-and-play option at nickel at the next level.