The Bears must wait a year to draft a quarterback

The Chicago Bears will have the third overall pick in the upcoming 82nd annual NFL Draft April 27 to 29. Maybe they should wait until next year to draft their next franchise quarterback?

Fans of the Chicago Bears know all too well the roller coaster career of Jay Cutler, of the potential end in Chicago approaching. Much like Cutler, Matt Barkley presents the same uncertainty for the future of the position.

If the Bears do elect to use the pick on a  quarterback, their options may be microscopic. Three QBs look to be drafted in some order in the first round: Mitch Trubisky, DeShone Kizer, Deshaun Watson.  All three of these options remain anything but a guarantee. It is safe to say, there is no Andrew Luck this year … or even a Matt Stafford.

Not to say these three can’t be future franchise players, but after years of trying to hide the fact the Cutler signing was a mistake, the Bears can’t afford another risky investment at the position.

Starting with the National Champion Deshaun Watson, who is the best option, is a player that spent much of his junior year slumping.  Is he worth the risk? To his credit, he showed up in the two playoff games this year.

Going into the 2016 season, Watson looked to be the lock first QB taken; however, the struggles he presented, like his 17 interceptions, has opened the doors for two others to take the top QB spot.

Two league officials told ESPN that Watson has a third round grade. Watson is undersized compared to most starting QBs, which may worry some scouts. Another issue facing Watson is the offense he plays in.

Playing in a spread offense does not translate well into the NFL. This could prolong his availability to start in the league immediately. Begging the question: the 3rd pick for a player that is not ready?

On to the quarterback who most draft experts consider to be the best prospect; North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky has the perfect size to start in the league, but with only 13 starts in his career, history says he is not ready either.

Roddy White warned teams about drafting Trubisky comparing him to first-round bust, Blaine Gabbert. If he is anything like Gabbert, the Bears will wish the mostly average Jay Cutler was still under center.

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Trubisky spent much of his junior year beating up on poor opponents. In his bowl game against Stanford, he failed to bring his team back as his two interceptions contributed in the loss.

This leaves Notre Dame’s Deshone Kizer, who physically may have the most upside, but much like the other two, would not be a top draft choice in most drafts. Kizer is not to blame for the team’s disappointing season, however, he does deserve a portion of the blame.

FS1’s Colin Cowherd believes that Kizer is the most “un-ready” out of the three. With all three of these quarterbacks drawing more questions than guarantees, making a 3rd overall pick seems like a forced choice.

Knowing the status of these three, it is safe to say next years’ draft class looks to include two can’t miss quarterback prospects. UCLA’s Josh Rosen and USC’s Sam Darnold are expected to have the best draft rating since Andrew Luck.

Alabama’s OC Steve Sarkisian, believes that his former recruit, Darnold is the “next Andrew Luck.” After his historic Rose Bowl performance, he looks to be the franchise changing guy the Bears are in desperate need of.

As for another southern California QB just down the road, Rosen would be a lock first QB taken in any draft that doesn’t include Darnold. Rosen is described to have the potential to be a Matt Ryan-type.

There is no guarantee that the Bears will be in the position to draft either of these two California kids next year, but taking a look at their roster, they look to have as good of a shot as any team.

The team must wait a year before wasting a 1st-round pick on a quarterback. With so many needs, they need to look elsewhere.

If they can add a few pieces, Matt Barkley may add a few wins to the squad. If he doesn’t, it will only increase the likelihood of a high draft pick in 2018.

Drafting a QB in the first round just to do it, is a colossal mistake. With the mistake of Cutler still haunting the team, they must wait for a much safer selection to invest in long term.