Chicago Bears Draft Profile: QB Pat Devlin
Ron Schwane-USA TODAY Sports
Strengths:
Devlin has prototype NFL size and an ideal, quick over-the-top delivery with enough arm strength to make all the NFL throws. He’s not a stiff in the pocket either with quick enough feet to avoid rushers and escape the pocket if needed. Devlin showed good accuracy in college especially on deep and fade routes. One of his most highly touted traits coming into the draft was his ability to progress through reads which is fairly rare for rookie QBs.
Weaknesses:
Devlin can make all the NFL throws but doesn’t get much zip on some of the more challenging routes. His poise in the pocket can be rattled by inside rushers as well. It’s hard to understand why a guy like Devlin who has all the physical tools to at least get a chance in the NFL hasn’t yet, but rumor has it that he struggles to read NFL defenses. The combination of Devlin’s inability to deal with inside pressure and problems with reading defenses lead to him holding on to the ball to long and ultimately taking too many sacks.
Bears Fit:
The Bears really have no proven QB behind Jay Cutler, so the #2/#3 QB jobs are up for grabs. Despite some early career failures, Devlin is still only 27 and has the physical tools to be an NFL QB. If he can get the mental aspects corrected Devlin has a shot to make the final 53-man roster. He has a size, experience, and arm strength advantage on both David Fales and Shane Carden and with a new coaching staff in town, Devlin could take advantage of the projected roster turnover and earn the 3rd QB role.
Highlights: