It has been one week since the Bears veteran quarterback search came to an end when the team signed Andy Dalton to a one-year deal. Dalton and Nick Foles currently are the team's only quarterbacks, as it appears likely that the team will draft a quarterback in the early rounds of this year's NFL Draft. General manager Ryan Pace will have an opportunity to find his next franchise quarterback after the short-comings of Mitchell Trubisky, which should serve as a forewarning when scouting now.

Pace Made The Mistake of Wanting Potential over Accomplishments

In 2017, Pace focused on Trubisky and Trubisky only as he did not scout any other quarterback prospect in detail. Deshaun Watson, Patrick Mahomes, and Deshone Kizer were other collegiate quarterbacks projected as first-round talents in the 2017 NFL Draft, but Chicago's general manager focused on one quarterback only. Trubisky was seen as the rawest of the quarterback group as he had only started 13 college games. What drew Pace to the former second overall selection was his accuracy and mobility. Several NFL Draft analysts viewed Trubisky with the highest potential of the four quarterbacks, despite having the least amount of game experience. https://youtu.be/IJcESIhBr-8 It was Trubisky's potential that caused Pace to overlook the accomplishments of the other quarterback prospects as all of them had several notable achievements. Watson was the most accomplished he had led Clemson to back-to-back National Championship games, led the school to a National Championship victory in his junior season over Alabama, and was a Heisman Trophy finalist two consecutive seasons. Although there were injury concerns, the Clemson star had one of the most impressive resumes a prospect quarterback could have heading into the draft. https://youtu.be/2IVRNumSofg Like Watson, Kizer played for a big school in Notre Dame and played against some of the best competition, including against Ohio State in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl. Mahomes had the best stats of the four college quarterbacks in 2016 as he led the NCAA in passing yards, total touchdowns while also breaking several single-game passing records. He also won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, which is awarded to the best collegiate quarterback for the season. Despite all the accomplishments by the other college quarterbacks, it was Trubisky that Pace believed had the brightest future as an NFL quarterback.

Pace Now Must Learn From His Mistake

Four years later, Trubisky is now the backup quarterback for the Buffalo Bills as he agreed to a one-year deal with the team last week. Although he did show potential during his time with the Bears, the former North Carolina quarterback struggled with consistency and couldn't take the next step. This year's draft allows Pace to redeem himself as it appears to be one of the deepest drafts in recent memory for quarterback prospects. Four to six quarterbacks could be drafted in the first round, with three quarterbacks projected to go within the first five picks. Although the Bears do not have the resources needed to acquire a top-five selection to possibly draft Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, or Zach Wilson, one quarterback that could fall to them is Alabama quarterback Mac Jones. https://youtu.be/nehe9OR7Wco Jones could fall to the Bears at the number 20 spot and would be the opposite of what Trubisky was as a quarterback. Where the 2017 Bears' quarterback selection was seen as having the highest ceiling with a massive big-play ability, the Alabama quarterback could be a high-floor efficiency passer. Jones has the accomplishments as he led Alabama to the National Championship this past season and threw for over 40 touchdowns. Many will argue that his numbers were aided by having the best wide receiver duo in the country with Jalen Waddle and DeVonta Smith, but their numbers improved alongside their quarterback from 2019 to 2020.

What makes Jones the ideal pick for the Bears now is that he appears to be the high-processing quarterback of the 2020 prospects outside of Lawrence and Fields. Many scouts have raved about his leadership qualities, along with his ability to execute the playbook while being able to read defenses effectively. Reading opposing defenses is vital for the Bears as it was one of Trubisky's worst weaknesses the last two seasons. If Matt Nagy wishes to continue using his complex offense, the Alabama quarterback may be the best available quarterback for the Bears if they do not trade up in the draft.

The most significant trait Pace should focus on when scouting Jones is the quarterback's big-game potential. The Alabama quarterback played in three major bowl games the last two seasons, performing well while leading his team to victory. Jones had a career year in the best college conference in the country that produces the most NFL-readied talent year over year. A prospect that has talent is one thing, but a prospect that can win against the best talent in the harshest environments is equally important, if not more.

A month from now, the Chicago Bears will have their chance to correct the draft mistake they made back in 2017. Although in the moment, Pace was looking for massive potential when he drafted Trubisky, he faltered in overlooking the significant accomplishments of other prospect quarterbacks. Given the team's draft position in April, the one quarterback that may be there is Jones, and if he is there for the Bears at 20, Pace cannot overlook accomplishments for potential again.