5 reasons Chicago Bears will trade up for QB in 2021 NFL Draft
As we have gotten closer and closer to the end of NFL draft season Chicago Bears fans have started to resign themselves to the idea that they will not be drafting one of the top five quarterbacks in this draft class. They will likely have to wait until round two or later to find a competitor to start at quarterback. However, in the words of Lee Corso, “not so fast my friend.”
If there is one thing we have learned during the draft season it is that we do not know nearly as much as we think we do. While it may be true that the Chicago Bears cannot sit at pick 20 and find one of the first-round quarterbacks, they very well could trade up for one of the top quarterbacks. Here is why.
5. A quarterback will fall into Chicago Bears trade up range
Is there a chance that all five quarterbacks go 1-5 in the NFL draft? It is possible this year but still remains unlikely. Sure, the top three quarterbacks are going 1-3. However, from 4, we could see a quarterback slide into the range where the Chicago Bears can trade up.
When you look at picks 4-8, they all have committed to a quarterback this offseason. Matt Ryan restructured his deal, locking him on the team through 2022, Joe Burrow and Tua Tagovoila enter year two with assurances from the team, while Jared Goff and Sam Darnold were traded for this offseason. Does that put any of them absolutely out on QB? No, but it certainly looks like they all will pass on whichever two quarterbacks fall.
So while teams now have a range from 4-8 where they can trade up, in most cases. Atlanta appears to be locked into Kyle Pitts, and the Bengals will help Joe Burrow at five. The Dolphins could trade down but just traded up. They are likely to take a non-QB as well. The fourth quarterback may not go until 7, 8, or 9.
The Bears have the Denver Broncos at nine to worry about, but after that is the Dallas Cowboys who are locked into their man. It is likely that both the quarterbacks that do not go top five still go top ten. However, the teams picking from 4-10 could all be persuaded into trading down, and if not, could be taking non-QBs.
It leaves room for at least one signal-caller to drop all the way to pick 10. That is still going to cost Chicago to get to 10 but is much easier to get to pick 10 than it is to get to pick three, four, or five. Depending on who falls, their fall could put them right into the Chicago Bears range.