It’s been two years since the 2017 NFL draft took place but that hasn’t stopped people from already handing out grades for picks. This despite the constant warnings that it’s best to wait until after the third year to pass judgment. Nonetheless, NFL.com went ahead with their series of draft re-grades of every 1st round pick. Naturally, Mitch Trubisky was in the mix as the #2 overall selection.
It isn’t a secret that most of the national media aren’t in love with Trubisky. Especially since Patrick Mahomes, who was drafted after him, is the reigning league MVP. This undoubtedly led to a somewhat tepid grade for the Chicago Bears quarterback. However, the reasoning they use for the grade is what will get attention from a lot of fans. Perhaps a good reminder that some of the reasons for these grades aren’t steeped in any sort of logic.
Just read the end of what Ali Bhanpuri wrote about why he kept Trubisky’s grade so low.
“Grade: B- | School: North Carolina
Focusing solely on Trubisky’s on-field performance, and not the Bears’ peculiar decision to give up three mid-round picks (including the one New Orleans eventually used to select Alvin Kamara) to move up one spot in the draft, the UNC quarterback has been as consistent as Chicago weather in his short pro career…
…While it’s easy to pummel the third-year passer for his head-scratching errant throws, he is coming off a Pro Bowl season and another summer working with Matt Nagy. And, let’s not forget that he did drive the Bears down the field and into position to kick a game-winning field goal against the Eagles in the 2018 Wild Card Round. If only 43-yard boots were in his repertoire, there’d be an “A” up there.”
Seems Mitch Trubisky didn’t have much control over his grade
So let’s get this straight. Trubisky gets a B-, which is a pretty fair grade at this point. Yet the reason it ended up as low as it was, according to this system, is because Cody Parkey couldn’t make his kick in the playoffs. A moment that Trubisky had absolutely no control over. He neither did the kicking nor was the holder for it. Yet based on what Bhanpuri is saying because somebody else didn’t do their job, he’s being punished for it.
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That makes absolutely no sense.
The best thing to say is that the writer made a big mistake with that last sentence. It completely invalidated everything else he said about why Trubisky received the grade he did. Using another player to affect his ultimate score isn’t how this is supposed to work. Students in a classroom aren’t given Bs instead of As because one of their classmates got fired from their part-time job. That would be utter nonsense.
Just like this is.
