The Chicago Bears can’t be sure what the future holds beyond 2020. All the current regime can do is continue to operate as if it will be back next year. At 5-3, there is still a strong possibility this happens. Especially given the COVID-19 disasters they’ve had to surmount. One thing they know for certain? It’s likely they’ll be hunting a new quarterback. Zach Wilson of BYU is almost guaranteed to be on that list.
Not a lot of people were talking about him to start the 2020 season. BYU hasn’t exactly been a quarterback factory for a long time. The days of Jim McMahon and Steve Young are long past. However, Wilson has forced people to take notice. He’s off to a torrid start. Not only boasting a 7-0 record, he’s thrown for 2,152 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just two interceptions.
The kid has been dealing.
He has good size, can run, and probably the quickest release of any quarterback in this class. His passes are almost always on target at every level. While not the most physically gifted compared to others, he checks most of the boxes a team looks for in a future NFL starter. The question is have the Bears taken notice?
Apparently yes. A source informed me that GM Ryan Pace and several others in the front office and scouting department plan to watch the upcoming BYU-Boise State matchup during a Zoom call. It’s unclear if they’ll have actual scouts present at the game but the message is pretty obvious.
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Wilson has their full attention.
Zach Wilson is about to face his biggest test
One of the biggest issues a lot of evaluators have with Wilson is his somewhat soft schedule. He hasn’t really played any front-line opponents so far in 2020. Navy? Western Kentucky? Texas State? Hardly a murders row. That is why several people circled November 6th as the date to watch. BYU would head to Boise State for a major showdown. Both teams are undefeated and the Broncos were 12-2 last season.
They’re considered the class of the Mountain West Conference. BYU defeated them last year in a tight one 28-25. However, this will be Wilson’s first start against them. By far his biggest test of the season. Boise State has some good players on defense. Especially in the secondary. They figure to present a fair challenge.
If he delivers?
Then his draft stock is almost certain to rise at an even faster rate. Projections are he’s likely a top 15 quarterback as things stand. Chicago holds the 18th pick according to draft projections. So that means they’d likely have to move up if they wanted him. That has never been a deterrent for Pace. Three of his last five top picks in the draft came after a trade up.
What he needs to know is whether Wilson would be worth the price. Is he a guy they can build a franchise around? This is why they’re holding a Zoom session. The more eyeballs they can get on him, the better. One can expect Matt Nagy will have a lot of say in that decision when the time comes too.