The 2021 NFL Draft has already been turned on its head. If you’re just tuning in, the San Francisco 49ers traded with the Miami Dolphins to move up to No. 3 overall from No. 12 last week. The Dolphins immediately turned around and traded that No. 12 pick to the Philadelphia Eagles to hop back in at No. 6. The way things stand, with the Jacksonville Jaguars, New York Jets and 49ers picking in succession to start the draft, it’s reasonable to think quarterbacks will come off the board with the first three selections.
Consider as well the price San Francisco had to pay to move from No. 12 to No. 3 — a first- and third-round pick in 2022, plus another first in 2023 — and it becomes harder to see a path for the Bears to lock up a rookie quarterback in the first round, as they sit at No. 20 overall.
So what does that mean for Ryan Pace? Either a highly-touted quarterback prospect will have to fall down the draft boards for a trade up, or he’ll have to look to the second round to pick the Bears’ QB of the future. Todd McShay released his latest mock draft on Thursday, and he has things going the latter route, picking Florida quarterback Kyle Trask with the No. 52 overall pick.
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“The Bears dip into the QB pool on Day 2 with Trask, who has great touch and anticipation on his passes despite some shortcomings with arm strength,” McShay said. “He could learn behind Andy Dalton and Nick Foles and be given a chance to develop into a potential down-the-road starter.”
That was the Bears’ plan when they drafted Mitchell Trubisky to develop behind Mike Glennon, and, well, we all know how that turned out.
Related: Hue Jackson reveals Trubisky was close to being a Brown
For what it’s worth, McShay’s mock had the Washington Football Team selecting Texas A&M quarterback Kellen Mond one pick before the Bears at No. 51.
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So if the Bears don’t get a QB in the first round, who do they select? McShay has Pace taking a playmaker to give Matt Nagy another weapon on offense and a friendly face for his rookie QB — Florida wide receiver Kadarius Toney.
“Chicago is likely out of reach to trade up for a top-five QB, at least without completely leveraging the organization's future,” McShay said. “So it might as well give Andy Dalton — and his eventual replacement — another playmaker to work with, even after placing the franchise tag on Allen Robinson II. Toney is a different kind of receiver: He isn't polished, but he's versatile and explosive. Get the ball to him and he'll make things happen. The Bears could use that skill set on offense.”
The draft kicks off on April 29, so there’s still plenty of time for another blockbuster trade to flip the script.
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