After Carson Wentz got traded to the Indianapolis Colts, it seems the Chicago Bears missed out on their best and most realistic option at quarterback that was affordable to them. In addition to that, the Las Vegas Raiders have stated that the other Bears’ target, Derek Carr, is not for sale. So, the Bears need to look elsewhere for their future quarterback.
With their limited cap space, the Bears may have their best chance to grab a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft. It will be hard for them to grab a quarterback since they don’t make their first selection until 20th overall, but that doesn’t mean they can’t move up or even hope one falls to them.
Regardless, hitting on the quarterback position this offseason is dire to the Bears not only for this season but also for the future. Both Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy’s jobs may be depending on this season, so they will do whatever they can to get their quarterback.
In this mock draft, I made one trade back to acquire more picks. I traded back from 52nd overall with the Cleveland Browns acquiring picks no. 59, 123, and 153. Here is the next mock draft.
Chicago Bears Round 1, Pick No. 20
Many people aren’t fans of the Alabama quarterback. People say he had too many good weapons and an elite offensive line. So did Joe Burrow and he went first overall last season. Having good weapons should not be a knock on Mac Jones.
Jones truly doesn’t have any elite traits like most top-tier quarterbacks. He doesn’t have the athleticism of Trey Lance or the arm strength of Patrick Mahomes, but he does have elite accuracy which cannot be questioned at all. This past season, Jones completed 77.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards and 41 touchdowns to four interceptions in just 13 games.
I wrote an article just days ago and I will echo what the main point of Jones is. Take the helmet off of him and the Crimson Red jersey and people would love him. Alabama quarterbacks don’t normally translate, but how many Texas Tech quarterbacks translated before Patrick Mahomes? Jones was nearly unstoppable this season. He did better than Tua Tagovailoa did in the same offense with better weapons with Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III.
Mac Jones would be an NFL-ready quarterback the Bears can get near the end of the first round. He may not make it to them as there are plenty of quarterback-needy teams, but if he does, it will be hard for the Bears to pass up. They have other needs as well, but Jones has a safe floor.