Steven Ridley’s 2018 NFL Mock Draft

With the eighth pick in the 2018 Steven Ridley NFL Mock Draft, the Chicago Bears select:

Quenton Nelson; Offensive Guard from the University of Notre Dame.

Meet my personal best prospect in the draft. Quenton Nelson, in my opinion, is the best offensive lineman in the past fifteen years. Better than Zack Martin, better than Brandon Schreff and better than the Black ‘n’ Gold’s David DeCastro. What makes Nelson so special? Arguably his most under-appreciated aspect of his game; his balance. Nevermind his power, tenacity and mean streak, his ability to remain steady within contact is what makes him so special. Most offensive lineman, especially those who enter the league, have serious issues with overall balance. Nelson is not one of those people. He is always in the correct technical aspect of an interior lineman; narrow base, engage hands in oppositions chest and maintain balance throughout. Most offensive lineman who enter do this every so often in a game. Nelson does this every, single snap. As such, outside of some minor athletic issues, there really is no weakness I can find in his game. With him, Cody Whitehair being put back into his natural spot at center and Kyle Long, the Bears will benefit both Mitchell Trubrisky and Jordan Howard; the former from taking less of a beating and the latter to potentially having a Pro Bowl season.