Chicago Bears: Fans should watch these Senior Bowl quarterbacks
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears Senior Bowl Quarterback Watch: Ian Book
Let’s get this out of the way quickly: Ian Book is not going to be drafted very high. Despite being one of the better quarterbacks in Notre Dame’s history, numbers-wise, Book will still likely be drafted around the sixth or seventh round.
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But, keeping an eye on him from a Bears perspective is worthwhile because of two reasons. First of all, the Bears have had to elevate Tyler Bray at times over the past couple of years. If they can find themselves another young quarterback to stash on their practice squad instead of Bray, that spot could use an upgrade.
It’s odd talking about upgrading the third quarterback spot, but with Book’s pedigree and experience at Notre Dame, he’d bring a lot to the table as a guy to try and develop further in the coming years.
Book will fall in the draft because of a couple of reasons. First, he’s only six feet tall, and he doesn’t have a great feel for the pass rush. His mobility allows him to escape the pocket well, but sometimes he doesn’t know exactly when he’s in trouble and when he’s still got some time, thus breaking the pocket early.
This is a quarterback who has shown some nice touch on deep balls, which is a plus. The Bears have lacked that in recent starters, of course, so adding someone like that to stash for a little while may come in handy.
If Book has a good showing on Saturday, his stock could be cemented as one who should be drafted. Right now, he has a shot to go undrafted. But, if he can play well, he’ll be looked at in that Round 5-7 range.