Not everybody seems to be buying into the popular narrative that the Chicago Bears plan to move up for a quarterback in the 1st round. More than a few people, while acknowledging the possibility, believe the team’s focus will be at other positions. They will address quarterback. That much is certain. Just not in the 1st round. Among those sitting in that camp is Louis Riddick.
The former NFL exec and current ESPN analyst has ties to the organization. He worked together with head coach Matt Nagy in Philadelphia. The two share a friendship that goes back over a decade. So when Riddick shares his thoughts on the Bears, it’s important not to dismiss them out of hand. He may know more than he’s letting on.
Was that the case in a recent NFL draft segment?
He, Adam Schefter, and Todd McShay got together to talk about the upcoming festivities. The subject of the Bears’ quarterback situation became an obvious discussion. Riddick’s comments were interesting. He agreed with Schefter in that unless one of the top five QBs happens to fall to #20, Chicago isn’t taking one in the 1st round. Instead? He believes they end up targeting an offensive lineman.
His comment about them evaluating quarterbacks “hard” also seems to suggest their aim is to take one from the second-tier group. Those expected to go somewhere on Day 2 of the draft. Among them are Davis Mills of Stanford, Kellen Mond of Texas A&M, and Kyle Trask of Florida. All have question marks surrounding their NFL futures but also have enough ability to warrant belief they could eventually become capable starters.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Louis Riddick isn’t the first to mention this idea
Just day prior, his fellow ESPN colleague and prominent draft insider Matt Miller said something similar. From what he’s heard, the Bears aren’t likely to jump up the board for the quarterback. Not because they’re unwilling but because none of the ones they might want will fall far enough. He believes they will target an offensive tackle that ends up slipping to them. Then on Day 2, the QB hunt figures to take place.
Who could their guy end up being? That is difficult to say. Trask was the most productive by a wide margin of the three in 2020, throwing 43 touchdowns. Pretty impressive against the SEC. Mond had his all-around best year for A&M and did so without near the same caliber of weapons as Trask. Mills though might be the most talented of the bunch in terms of size and natural arm strength. His problem? He has a history of knee issues and only started 11 games.
So whichever direction they go, there will be risks.
The Bears need to navigate this as best they can. A 2nd round quarterback hasn’t panned out for some time. Not since Derek Carr in 2014. Ready for even better trivia? The Bears haven’t taken one in that round since Gary Huff in 1973. So simply picking a QB in that range would be a somewhat momentous occasion. If he actually panned out? That would be some wild stuff. Louis Riddick seems pretty confident things will go in this direction.