The Chicago Bears take a lot of grief for drafting Mitch Trubisky, but Adam Shaheen was a worse pick at the time and in hindsight
You often hear about the Chicago Bears and their huge blunder on Mitch Trubisky. Obviously, when it is the quarterback position, and it is the second overall pick, the team is going to get more media flack for the decision.
However, a decision that does not get enough attention is Adam Shaheen. Shaheen was a high upside swing that never paid off. His book in Chicago closed when the team traded him for what turned out to be a conditional seventh-round pick.
So, with Trubisky getting the talk about his reign being over, due to Nick Foles, and Shaheen literally being off of the team now, it is time to admit that while the Trubisky pick set the Bears back, almost anybody at 45 overall could have put the Bears in a much better spot than they are now.
Here is why Adam Shaheen was a worse pick.
Contributions
Say what you want about Mitch Trubisky, he has at least started 41 games. Beyond that, the 2018 season that featured a 66% completion percentage with 24 touchdowns to 12 interceptions was playing factor that helped the team win the division.
He currently has a completion rate over 63% for his career, and statistically has been on a similar track to later breakouts such as Ryan Tannehill, and Eli Manning.
Trubisky was not worth the second overall pick. That is not the sell. However, Adam Shaheen was only active for 27 games and started 13. He caught 26 passes for 249 yards in his three years with Chicago. He was practically a zero.
Based on Approximate Value by Pro Football Reference Mitch Trubisky has 28 AV, Adam Shaheen has a 2. Yes, the Bears need to get more value out of pick two than pick 45. However, the expected value of pick 45 and Shaheen is greater than the expected value of Trubisky and a second overall pick.