Chicago Bears: 5 late-round quarterback targets in 2021 NFL Draft
By Joseph Herff
Chicago Bears Target: Ian Book | Notre Dame
To change it up, Ian Book isn’t a player that has every trait you love in a quarterback. Book had a successful career at Notre Dame as one of the greatest college quarterbacks to come through South Bend. He led Notre Dame to multiple winning seasons.
Strengths:
Simply put, Book is a winner. He constantly finds a way to somehow win football games. He is an accurate passer that shows great ability to make plays when the play breaks down. Book can maneuver the pocket well and keep his eyes downfield to make great plays. Protects the ball well and has plus-athleticism that can help him pick up extra yards. Book is lethal in the short-to-intermediate passing game.
Weaknesses:
Lacks the ideal size of an NFL quarterback. Book additionally has a hard time hitting the deep throws. He struggles to develop speed on his throws when he throws a deep ball or throws on the run. He relies too much on his ability to escape the pocket and make plays off-script which won’t happen much for him at the next level.
Chicago Bears’ Fit:
The honest ceiling for a quarterback like Book is along the lines of Gardner Minshew. I could see Book coming in as a backup and having a successful career as a back up though as he is very smart and as I said, he will try and find a way to win. Book can have the effect of what Taylor Heinecke had for the Washington Football Team in the playoffs with his dual-threat capability. Book will likely be a seventh-round draft pick.