2021 NFL Re-draft erases one of the Chicago Bears' biggest quarterback mistakes

Truth be told, former Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy should have never been afforded the opportunity to make the mistake that they did during the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

Pace and Nagy entered the 2021 offseason on the hot seat with the expectation that each would be fired with another losing season and in a Hail Mary attempt to avoid the fate, the Bears traded up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Justin Fields.

While there was certainly reason to be excited about Fields' potential as a quarterback at the NFL level, there certainly were even more reasons to know that the Bears, in 2021, were not in a position to develop a quarterback like Fields. While not the primary reason for his tenure with the Bears proving to be a failure after three seasons, the Bears' lack of a defined plan for Fields at the start of his career certainly was a large part of the problem.

The latest experiment from The 33rd Team erases that mistake. In a re-draft of the 2021 NFL Draft, Marcus Mosher has the Bears pass on taking Fields with the No. 11 pick and select offensive tackle Rashawn Slater.

"11. CHICAGO BEARS: RASHAWN SLATER, LT
Original Pick: Justin Fields

The Chicago Bears grab one of the best left tackles in the NFL at pick No. 11 in Rashawn Slater. All he needs to do is stay healthy, and he should return to the Pro Bowl in 2024. Adding Slater to this offensive line would give the unit a massive boost and give Caleb Williams two strong tackles to play behind."

- The 33rd Team

Slater immediately was one of the best offensive tackles in the NFL during his rookie season as he not only finished fourth in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting, but was on the All-Pro second team including earning a Pro Bowl selection.

But, here is the thing with the exercise, the Bears were originally set to make the 20th selection in the 2021 NFL Draft prior to trading up with the Giants to select Fields with pick No. 11. Safe to say the Bears would not have traded up in the draft if they weren't taking a quarterback. Nonetheless, the mistake of selecting Fields in 2021 is the ignitor for the changes that were enacted this offseason and it's safe to say the Bears likely wouldn't want a do-over.