Chicago Bears draft rumors are fun. They can also be hit and miss. You know, because they’re rumors? Nonetheless if one were to take them in as a majority, certain patterns begin to emerge. Ones that can at least offer a picture of what the team might be thinking headed into the upcoming draft. Of course nothing captivates more people this year than what they’re thinking on the quarterbacks.
This is the first year of the post-Jay Cutler era. A simultaneously exciting and terrifying time. Mike Glennon looks like he’ll be the first man to get a crack at the job. Understandable that the team would prefer somebody with experience. That said it leaves a wide open question unanswered. Will GM Ryan Pace still look to draft a quarterback high?
Knowing the answer to that is darn near impossible. So here’s a potential way to at least get a gauge. Using notable rumors surrounding the team, this article will form a picture of how the top quarterbacks rank for the Bears and where they might be willing to grab them.
Mitch Trubisky is the only top 10 option
North Carolina stand out Mitch Trubisky ranks as the #1 quarterback on most draft boards. This became reality after his successful showing at the scouting combine. Some have even gone so far as to declare he’s the only one worthy of going in the top 10. Would the Bears consider him at #3 overall? No major source has indicated that, though some have hinted (strongly) that the team loves him.
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Charlie Campbell of Walter Football saying so a few weeks ago.
“The Bears grab a potential franchise quarterback to build around. There is scuttlebutt that Chicago loves Trubisky.”
Pace has stuck by his best player available stance though. He’s also demonstrated complete confidence in Mike Glennon. So at #3? That feels unlikely. However, if the Bears were to trade down then the feeling is Trubisky would most definitely become a serious option.
Deshaun Watson is a trade up target
Yes, he’s a fantastic winner and the most experienced quarterback in the 2017 class. Don’t be fooled though. Every snippet of information coming out war rooms is that Deshaun Watson is not going in the top 10. He’s expected to go somewhere between #11 and perhaps even the end of the first round. That’s how unpredictable his stock is at this point. The feel of it has gone from less about the Bears considering him at #3 and more about hoping he slips down the board just enough for them to pounce.
DeShone Kizer Rd2. If Deshaun Watson falls into 20s they'll be working the phone to move up. https://t.co/dSyHZHzMvL
— Chad Forbes (@NFLDraftBites) March 29, 2017
When thinking about it, what sounds more appealing? Drafting Watson at #3 or getting a top defender there and then jumping back up the board to grab him in the 20s? It’s really not a hard decision and makes a ton of sense. Sure it might cost a decent draft pick to pull off. Still, getting the quarterback you covet and an extra potential star defender makes the price worth paying.
DeShone Kizer is the fallback
There is hardly a consensus with almost every player in every draft. That’s what makes it so unpredictable. That being said, there is a general belief that Notre Dame quarterback DeShone Kizer is the current favorite to slip the most of the top four. Latest estimates have him going somewhere in the bottom of the first to the early second round. That would put him right in line with the Bears, who pick again at #36.
I'm told the Bears have met with DeShone Kizer on 3 different occasions.
— Nationalmockdrafts (@Nat_MockDrafts) March 30, 2017
As stated above Kizer would be the ideal option for them at that spot. He’s got first round talent all the way but it’s clear he’s still raw in a lot of areas. Some feel he should’ve stayed in school. Remember he’s only 21-years old. He isn’t ready for the pro level. It will take a year or two to develop him properly at best. Former Bears scout Greg Gabriel said Kizer would end up being the Derek Carr of the 2017 class.
Well Carr went 36th overall to the Raiders in 2014. Just saying.
That said this is how the board stacks up according to the Bears draft rumors. There is still a month left before the action begins. Things may change but the picture is forming. Trubisky is their only top 10 option. Watson is one they hope falls enough to go get. Kizer is the last resort. Is it any coincidence they met with Trubisky the least and Kizer the most?
That’s classic pre-draft strategy.
But what about Patrick???
Of course many are going to ask where in the hell is Patrick Mahomes in all this? All that is known about him to this point is the Bears have met with him privately and they “like” him. The Texas Tech gunslinger has a red hot draft stock at the moment. One would think the Bears would be in on that. The thing is?
Mahomes may be the rawest of the four QBs and doesn’t fit the mold of what Pace is looking for. He didn’t elevate the program like Watson. He also doesn’t play a more advanced pocket style of play like Trubisky and Kizer can. He’s a backyard player who sits in shotguns, scrambles around until he can make a big play. Fun to watch for sure. Also not quite a fit for what this Bears team does. He’s another Cutler-type. We all saw what happened with that.
That may not make some people happy, but there it is. Smart money say if the Bears plan to get a quarterback early, this is how the pecking order will stand. At least according to the rumors.
