The Bears traded up to secure their franchise quarterback in the 2017 draft, and now it's time to build a championship-level core around him. Year 1 of the Mitchell Trubisky era was nothing special in terms of wins and losses, so there will be plenty of areas that need improvement heading into Chicago's offseason. Let's dive into it.

2018 draft picks

  • Round 1: Chicago
  • Round 2: Chicago
  • Round 3: None
  • Round 4: Chicago, Arizona
  • Round 5: Chicago
  • Round 6: Chicago
  • Round 7: Chicago*

The Bears are without their third-round pick as a result of the Trubisky trade, but they do get an extra fourth-round pick from the Cardinals that could be relatively high due to Arizona's down year. That fourth-rounder was part of a draft-day deal in 2017 that allowed the Cardinals to move up and select Budda Baker in the second round. The Bears could lose their seventh-round pick to the Chargers as part of the Dontrelle Inman trade in October.

Biggest offseason needs

  • Wide receiver
  • Right tackle
  • Defensive end
  • Cornerback

The Bears have the chance to start fresh at receiver, as they'd save $5 million by releasing Markus Wheaton, which would leave Kevin White as the only receiver on their roster. With basically no talent on the position, expect them to attack that weakness both in free agency and the draft, possibly with their first-round pick.

Cutting Bobby Massie this offseason would save the team $5.6 million on their cap, and he hasn't played at a level worth keeping around for that kind of cash. Better health in 2018 from Kyle Long plus continued quality play from Charles Leno and Josh Sitton could make this a sneaky candidate for one of the league's top offensive lines if an answer can be found on the right side.

The Bears can turn around and used some of the cap space saved by cutting Wheaton and Massie to get Mitch Unrein re-signed after an excellent season, which would fortify the defensive line and make them pretty solid up and down the defensive front seven. One spot that will definitely need an influx of talent is at cornerback, where Cre'von LeBlanc has flashed but needs help around him. This could be the perfect marriage of need and value in the first round for the team. 

Prospects to watch

Courtland Sutton, WR, SMU 

The 6-foot-4 Sutton rebounds like a power forward and can make defenders miss like a point guard. He probably would've gone in one of the first two rounds in the 2017 draft but decided to build his resume at SMU for one more season. He's amassed over 2,200 yards with 22 touchdowns in his final two years with the Mustangs. He plays in the Frisco Bowl on December 20 against Louisiana Tech. Sutton would be an ideal No. 1 target for the Trubisky era in Chicago.

Zachary Crabtree, RT, Oklahoma State

Speaking of two years of resume-building, Crabtree has now enjoyed consecutive years as a quality pass protector on the right side for Mason Rudolph and the Cowboys deep-strike offense. He has an argument as the top pure right tackle in the class, and if the Bears want to shore up that side of their line, Crabtree should be in a target in the middle rounds. 

Minkah Fitzpatrick, CB, Alabama

Fitzpatrick can play safety or cornerback, and his length and athleticism will give receivers issues on the boundary. He's a stellar run defender too, will would help the Bears on the perimeter on early downs. In a pinch, Fitzpatrick can sink back to safety to form a tremendous pair with Adrian Amos on the back end. Fitzpatrick is an early first-round prospect. 

Rasheem Green, DE, USC 

Even if the Bears re-sign Unrein, they could be in the market for a versatile defensive lineman who can hold up as an end in their base 3-4 and also rush the passer when needed. That's Green, a bigger, less twitchy defensive end for the Trojans who's flourished as an inside rusher in nickel packages. While he could stand to add some strength to better hold up against the run, Green is a movable chess piece with a refined pass-rushing skill set, and he likely won't carry a first-round price tag.