NFL Draft Analyst Predicts Bears Draft Day Trade With Giants

The Chicago Bears draft outlook isn't that hard to read. Most experts are convinced one of two scenarios is going to happen. Either they will stay at #20 and pick the best player on the board. Or they GM Ryan Pace will do what he does best and that's move up for somebody the team covets. Most likely one of the top quarterbacks. Who that would be? Nobody knows. This hasn't stopped draft analysts from assessing the most likely scenarios. Chad Reuter of NFL.com was the latest. He's covered the draft for years. He recently unveiled a four-round mock draft that featured plenty of trade action. This included the Bears who stayed true to their form by moving up the board. So how high did they go? Reuter has them jumping to the 11th pick, held by the New York Giants.

Their target? Alabama quarterback Mac Jones.

"GM Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy bring in Jones to learn behind consummate pro Andy Dalton in 2021. Jones' athleticism is average, though he performed better than expected at his pro day. His pocket feel and accuracy are something the Bears lacked the past few seasons. They give up a third-round pick this year and a 2022 first to make this deal, which represents the last chance for Pace and Nagy to jump-start Chicago's fortunes."

One can't really call this idea a surprise. It isn't a secret the Bears need a quarterback. Andy Dalton might be their starter for the moment but he's on a one-year deal. They have nobody on the roster who can be called a long-term option. Grabbing one in the draft makes sense. Especially if it's somebody they feel has the capability of being a franchise guy. Is that Jones? Ask every expert and they'll probably give you a different answer. He is probably the most divisive player in this draft class. Somebody who played like a top 10 pick this past year with 41 TD passes and a national championship. Yet doesn't have the high-end physical talent normally associated with such picks. He's not overly big, not a blazing runner, and doesn't feature a big arm. So why would the Bears trade up for him? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pCxa-AZzazw&ab_channel=NBCSports

Jones exhibits traits the Chicago Bears draft people would like

Remember Matt Nagy runs this show. It has to be a quarterback he would want. A quarterback he feels can run his offense effectively. For all the talk about Jones lacking physical traits, nobody questions his mental grasp of the game. He seems consistently able to diagnose coverages, read defenses prior to the snap, and make good decisions. Nevermind his obvious value as a leader. Nagy himself said the two traits he values most in a QB are leadership and decision-making. Athleticism is also desired but it's not as imperative. So somebody like Jones wouldn't scare him nearly as much as it might other teams. The question is would Pace be on board with such a move. Remember he's a traits guy. Ever since he started running the Bears draft room, his 1st round picks have always leaned towards physical upside.

Moving up for Jones would be a considerable departure for him.

In the end, Reuter is likely wrong. Expectations are Jones won't even make it out of the top 10 anyway. Some even think he could go #3 overall to San Francisco. There is a strong consensus the top five quarterbacks will be gone before Denver even goes on the clock at #9. So the Bears will either have to jump higher than #11 or more likely they will stay put at the 20th pick and get the best player they can.