The Bears finally go quarterback. As we have mentioned, going from the Senior Bowl through the combine, if anything stood out, it is that none of these quarterbacks are worth falling in love with.
Names like Jacob Eason and Jordan Love may go too high, but names such as Jake Fromm and Anthony Gordon proved that they do not have the physical make up in the NFL.
This leaves us with James Morgan. Morgan had a nice Shrine bowl week that led into the combine. He was recovering from a shoulder injury that he played through, and looked much healthier throwing this past weekend then he has in a while.
Morgan has all the of tools to build a quarterback and has the quick processing as well. Of course, coming from Florida International, this is a player expected to sit and develop for a bit.
The Bears are likely to add a veteran of some sort this offseason. Adding Morgan in the sixth round to be the third-string quarterback would completely renew the quarterback room. Bring on all the competition for Mitch Trubisky.
Like James Morgan, we have talked about Jon Runyan as well. Before the combine, his video at Michigan was impressive, and he became a player to watch in Indy. After the combine, Runyan in the sixth sounds like a steal.
Many questioned if he has the size and athleticism to make the move to the NFL. His length says that he is a guard in the NFL, but his athleticism says that he can make the transition with ease.
Runyan comes from a football family and has plenty of experience. Making the switch will be easier for Runyan than many. Still, with Hunt drafted earlier, the expectation is that Runyan can be a swing lineman for the Bears.
He can play up and down the line in a pinch and give them youth and depth in the same swoop. The Bears should double up on offensive lineman, and do so in this mock with Robert Hunt and Jon Runyan,
Lastly, we have our Taylor Gabriel replacement. Watkins is a bit undersized and coming from Southern Miss, is flying under the radar. However, like Gabriel, despite being undersized, he is fast, and I mean very fast.
Watkins ran in the 4.3s at the NFL combine, showing he is a true burner.
His size, speed, and college production metrics match Dede Westbrook as a comparable player.
Of course, he does have plenty of room to grow. He does not have an expanded route tree, contested catches are an issue, and his size defines his role.
Still, he can run the go-route and can run past defenders. From there, he is tough to catch with the ball in his hands. Sounds like Taylor Gabriel, right?
Watkins can step in and be immediate competition for Riley Ridley and Javon Wims. All three are a bit different in style, so the Bears can mix and match as well as hope that the competition brings out the best in each. In round seven, a pick on Watkins is well worth it.