The Perfect Draft Scenario for the Chicago Bears
This would be the ideal situation for the Chicago Bears in the 2017 NFL Draft.
With just over 24 hours before the draft, the Chicago Bears are still a mystery as to what they will do with the third overall pick. With all the smokescreens and misdirections, it’s tough to figure out what reports are fact and what reports are fiction.
There has been plenty floated that the Bears may just take Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson with the third overall pick but with Watson grading out to be a potentially late first round pick, it makes it tough to justify taking Watson that high. The Bears may very well try to trade down and acquire more assets and when you need players like the Bears do, that’s never a bad option.
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However, the best option here for the Bears is to stand pat at three and draft LSU safety Jamal Adams. Adams is a born leader and a big hitter which will play well in Chicago. He’s the son of a former NY Giants running back and has been surrounded by people like Bill Parcells and Michael Irvin his whole life. He knows the NFL and he has a good head on his shoulders.
The bottom line is that Adams is a playmaker. He’s the type of guy that can make an impact on defense and turn the game on a big play. The Bears are trying to build up their defense and it’s time to address the secondary, and Adams is the perfect place to start. It’s hard not to see Adams as a 10+ year pro with multiple Pro Bowl appearances and some All-Pro nods as well. He’s a safe pick. He’s a smart pick. He’s what the Bears need.
To couple with that, the Bears need to watch what happens with the top five QBs in this draft. Those 5 would be UNC’s Mitchell Trubisky, Notre Dame’s DeShone Kizer, Texas Tech’s Pat Mahomes, Cal’s Davis Webb and of course Watson.
The fact is, we could see a run on QBs early, or they could absolutely slide. The Browns love Trubisky and will almost certainly trade up to get him. If San Francisco and Chicago both pass on a quarterback, then it gets interesting. Some talk is that Jacksonville may draft a QB and punt on Blake Bortles, but with Leonard Fournette sitting there, that’s tough to think they would do that.
The New York Jets could take a QB, but at the same time, they already have three on the roster which means either Bryce Petty or Christian Hackenberg would have to be shown the door. There have been rumblings that the Buffalo Bills could take a quarterback but that seems unlikely. The Arizona Cardinals sit at thirteen, if they decide not to take a QB, the slide will be real. Another team won’t even consider a QB until perhaps Miami at 22 or the Giants at 23. The Texans sit at 25 with an obvious need. If Mahomes and Watson make it past the Cardinals, they will almost certainly tumble into the 20s, and if that happens, the Bears need to strike.
The Seattle Seahawks would happily trade down from their slot at 26. The Houston Texans draft at 25 and the Kansas City Chiefs draft at 27. Both those teams you would expect to take a quarterback if one is available they like. If the Bears like both Watson and Mahomes, then you slide in behind Houston and draft the other QB. Word is that Bill O’Brien really likes Mahomes, and if that’s the case, then the Bears can take Watson at 26, who they apparently like so much, they are considering him with the third pick.
It may be a bit of a pipe dream, but it’s one that’s realistic. That being said, if teams like Jacksonville and Arizona go QB, then the Bears are going to be left without having any QB that they really love. But the draft is a gamble and taking a QB with the third pick when they simply don’t grade out at that quality is just bad business. It’s worth the gamble for Pace to wait and see how the first round plays out. If he’s patient, he could be handsomely rewarded.