Chicago Bears: Senior Bowl QBs to Watch

The Chicago Bears have a unique opportunity this week as coaches at the 2017 Senior Bowl. They will get an up-close and personal look at most of the top senior prospects in this year’s NFL Draft. Hopefully, they can use the time well to find a few impact players, like the Cowboys coaching staff did last year in fourth round pick Dak Prescott.

I’ll be breaking down the top Senior Bowl players at positions the Bears could be targeting in this year’s draft. Quarterback is by far the Bears biggest need, so I’m starting there, by ranking the top QB prospects in Mobile this week.

Senior Bowl: QBs to Watch

1.) Davis Webb, California (6’5 | 223 | 4.87) – Took over for last year’s #1 overall pick Jared Goff as Cal’s quarterback. His numbers weren’t quite as good as Goff’s but were solid with a 62% completion rate, 4.295 yards, 37 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions.

While Webb fell a little short of Goff’s stats last year, it was just his first season at Cal after transferring from Texas Texas. He’s also bigger, faster, and may have a better arm than Goff. Webb also gets high marks for his smarts and work ethic from Cal coaches and was named a captain in his only season at Berkeley.

Webb has ideal size and a big-time arm. He can make all the NFL throws with easy power and occasionally flashes elite touch and anticipation. Webb can progress through reads, uses his eyes well to fool defensive backs, and he’s not a statue in the pocket either with the ability to move around and keep plays alive.

The primary knock on Webb is whether he will be able to transition from Cal’s extreme spread scheme to an NFL offense. It’s a legitimate concern as we saw this year with Goff, who didn’t see the field until late in the season for a bad Rams team. Webb’s decision making is suspect at times as well, but it’s hard to complain too much about a 37 TD / 13 INT ratio.

I have Webb projected as a third rounder, but surprisingly most sites have him as a day-three pick. I’m not sure why, as his skill-set isn’t much different than Goffs. Webb has all the physical tools to be a quality NFL starter. It may take him a couple of years to get there as he adjusts to an NFL scheme, but Webb has the natural talent to be the best QB in this draft.