The Chicago Bears absolutely killed the NFL Draft. Plain and simple. Ryan Pace arguably got the steal of the NFL Draft in both the first round and the second round. With his and Matt Nagy’s jobs on the line, Pace stepped up to the plate and hit a grand slam.
Pace has made his draft errors in the past. He traded up one spot to select Mitchell Trubisky ahead of Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes who both went to their respective teams’ multiple picks later. Pace this time did what happened to him and arguably got the Watson of this class in a player who wrongfully fell.
Now, Pace has sparked hope within this fanbase and has the fans united and excited for the first time arguably since the 2018 season when he brought in Matt Nagy and acquired Khalil Mack. Let’s see how he graded out though with each pick and what each player brings to the table in the 2021 NFL Draft class.
Chicago Bears Round 1, Pick No. 11 via NYG
This still blows my mind. Thanks to how the draft fell, the Bears traded up with the New York Giants surrendering their first and fifth-round pick in this draft and their first and fourth-round pick in 2022. As a result, the Bears get their quarterback in Justin Fields who graded out as the second-best quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft class for me.
Fields brings to the table a rare blend of athleticism and arm talent that modern-day NFL teams desire. He has the ability to make any throw on the field with relative ease and can additionally run the ball as well. Fields won’t be like a Kyler Murray or Lamar Jackson type who runs for over 600 yards every year, but he can rely on his legs to bail him out of tricky situations.
Unlike the last time the Bears picked a quarterback, Fields is NFL ready now. Although Andy Dalton is expected to by the starter right now, Fields can and will beat him out either early in the season or before the season even starts. It’s not like he’s perfect, but the team the Bears are building around him and the offensive scheme is a great fit for Fields. Nagy should have fun with him.
Grade: A+
As stated, the Bears got a steal in Fields and their potential franchise quarterback making arguably the best pick of the entire NFL Draft. They have a lot to look forward to in him.