Will the Bears draft Kizer? Okay let’s back up for some context here. It’s no secret the Chicago Bears are undergoing a massive fluctuation at the quarterback position. Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, and Matt Barkley are all gone. Mike Glennon, Mark Sanchez and Connor Shaw have replaced them. That sort of turnover is rare at any position, let alone the most important in all of football.
Yet nobody is buying for a second that the Bears are finished. A former backup who hasn’t started a game since 2014? A veteran former first round pick who has underachieved most of his career and played for five teams? A preseason hero who’s coming off a broken leg? This doesn’t exactly look or feel like a strong group at all. Everything would indicate the Bears plan to add more help. Possibly high in the draft.
How high is the big question. That’s why they’re busy scouting and meeting with top prospects. The latest being Notre Dame standout DeShone Kizer.
Wearing "Chicago" shirt in warmups, Notre Dame QB DeShone Kizer impressed at pro day. #Bears will take closer look. https://t.co/zXriGBQZv5
— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) March 24, 2017
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Considered by many to be the best overall quarterback prospects in the draft, talent-wise, he’s coming off an inconsistent final year of college. He threw for 2,925 yards and 26 touchdowns. The Irish finished with a rough 4-8 record. Much of the blame was put on him for that, though it’s a bit unfair. He was working with minimal help on offense and a bad defense on the other side.
Nevertheless he’s got the size, mobility and arm strength teams look for. He also works really well with the Xs and Os.
The problem is there are questions about his steadiness under pressure, along with shaky accuracy and ball placement. It’s led to a steady decline in his draft stock. Once considered the top option in this class, there is a growing belief he could drop. And drop a lot.
When could the Bears draft Kizer?
It seems the primary dilemma facing the Bears at this point is this. How do they land a top quarterback without using the #3 overall pick? Some argue they should just bite the bullet and use that selection. QB is way too important to wait. Others think they should take the best player available and then trade back into the first round to get a guy.
Neither option seems overly appetizing at this point. Few if any of the quarterbacks have proven worthy of being drafted in the top five. At the same time the Bears have way too many roster needs to give up the picks it would require to move back into the second round. That leaves one alternative.
They wait, hoping that a top prospect falls to their pick at #36 so they can pounce. It’s not a new strategy, but it is a dangerous one. There’s a strong possibility the top four quarterbacks could be long gone by the time Chicago is on the clock again. However, there seems to be a growing consensus that won’t be the case.
A number of top draft analysts including Mel Kiper, Todd McShay, Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks all don’t see Kizer going in the first round.
Clearly people think that while Kizer is talented and worth a significant investment, there are too many question marks to warrant a first round pick. That could be sweet music for the Bears, especially given the way they’ve shaped their roster.
Getting a closer look
There is something important to factor into this case. Kizer is only 21-years old. He’s still very young and he looked like it at times last season. He’s not ready. Teams don’t want to invest their highest draft picks in players who aren’t going to play right away. At the same time a second round pick would be the perfect answer for Chicago. They get to use #3 on a stud defender and can stash a young talent on their roster for later.
They already have Glennon in place to handle the starting job this season. The signing of Sanchez might actually serve a greater purpose. He’s known for being one of the most encouraging and helpful veterans out there. His work helping Dak Prescott in Dallas last season is still drawing rave reviews. His vast NFL experience would be a huge help to a youngster like Kizer who still hasn’t learned to play at pro speeds.
The potential trade off? An uber-talented young quarterback to lead the franchise for years to come.
The hurdles
There is no question a lot would have to go right for the Bears in order for it to happen. Both Cleveland and San Francisco pick ahead of them in the second round. Both need quarterbacks. The 49ers in particular have taken quite an interest in Kizer over the past few weeks. So each will need to either solve their QB issue before then, or they’ll have to lose interest. Thus far it’s unclear which could happen.
A few things to keep in mind. Derek Carr fell to the #36 pick in 2014. So this sort of thing is not unheard of. Also, the Bears have a history of success drafting quarterbacks from Notre Dame. Johnny Lujack went to two Pro Bowls for them back in the early 1950s. They would’ve drafted Joe Montana as well if not for a last-second change of heart.
If Ryan Pace decides to play the waiting game and take the gamble, Kizer could be the one who falls into his lap. Imagine getting him and Solomon Thomas in the first two picks. The draft never offers guarantees, but that at least would offer hope.
