Chicago Bears Rumors: Ryan Pace Will NOT Draft QB with Third Pick
Rumors are heating up that the Chicago Bears will NOT take a quarterback with the third overall pick.
The Chicago Bears have been largely an enigma approaching the 2017 NFL Draft. The experts know the Bears need a quarterback, but also know there really hasn’t been a QB that emerged as a strong enough candidate to be selected with the third overall pick.
That left a lot of draft experts scrambling to figure out what Ryan Pace had up his sleeve for this year’s draft and nobody seems to have any idea. As the draft gets closer, the chatter started to increase that the Bears would take a QB this year and take one early. As that chatter got noisier, conversation began to swirl that the Bears might just take a QB with the third pick.
But now, there are some reports coming from some of the draft experts that speak to the contrary.
Everything I'm hearing now says Bears will not go QB at 3. Possible in first if they trade down, just not at 3
— Greg Gabriel (@ggabefootball) April 25, 2017
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller has a similar take. From his latest scouting notebook:
"Don’t bet on a quarterback in Round 1, per a high-level source with the team. Defensive back is much more likely, with Jamal Adams and Marshon Lattimore earning high grades on the team’s board. A quarterback is more likely on Day 2 of the draft. Oddly enough, my source said they’ve done a ton of work on running backs and wouldn’t rule one out in Round 2 or 3."
This is without question a smart move for the Chicago Bears. The Bears can go one of two ways here. First, they can trade down from the third pick and acquire multiple assets. Every Bears’ fan knows the team needs bodies. Their depth is severely lacking and it showed last year when they didn’t have capable players to step up when players went down with injuries. Second, they can take an impact defensive player with the third overall pick and then take a QB in round two. If one of their targeted QBs slip into the late first round, they could consider moving up from their second round pick and slide back into the first to select their man.
Either option is a good one, and a far better choice than making a serious reach at three for one of these quarterbacks. If Gabriel and Miller are right, it shows me that Ryan Pace continues to show that he is savvy with the NFL Draft and is ready to put together another solid class as the Bears build to the future.