Will the Bears draft a quarterback?

Before his first draft as an NFL general manager in 2015, Ryan Pace famously remarked that he felt it would be a good idea to draft a quarterback every single year.

About that...

As we all know by now, the only quarterback that Pace has ever drafted for the Chicago Bears was Mitchell Trubisky. Six drafts and only one rookie QB. In fact, he’s only brought in a grand total of three undrafted rookies for a look during his time in Chicago.

With veterans Andy Dalton (QB1!) and Nick Foles the only quarterbacks on the current roster, this has to finally be the year Pace picks a QB. Right?

We asked the WCG team if they thought this would be the draft the Bears get a rookie signal caller, and if so, who would it be and in what round.

Here’s what we had to say.

Jacob Infante: As much as I disapprove of the idea, I have a gut feeling that the Bears will draft a quarterback in the second round. While I’m not exactly sure which quarterback that will be, I do have a gut feeling that Davis Mills will be the guy in Round 2. He’s unproven and has an incredibly small sample size, but his flashes of velocity and accuracy are certainly impressive. Given their positioning in the back half of the first round, it’s going to be tough for them to acquire one of the consensus top prospects. Mills could be a decent developmental option to sit under Andy Dalton for a year before taking charge under center.

EJ Snyder: If Mac Jones were to fall to 20 and Pace picked him there I’d be fine with it. If Justin Fields or Trey Lance improbably fell past the 7th pick I’d expect him to be on the phone quickly. Barring any 1st-round action, I would not be surprised if the Bears took a shot at Davis Mills — although I think that’d be a mistake. They’d likely have to use their 2nd-round pick to do it. If Kellen Mond were to slide towards their 3rd-round pick (I think he’ll be gone by then) I’d be excited for them to snag him there.

Patti Curl: I do think they will, and I don’t think it will be one of the top 5. If the smoke about the 49ers quarterback preference is true, and Kyle Shannahan really does light the NFL world on fire by overdrafting McCorkle Jones, then the Bears might be in business with either Lance or Fields falling into non-insane trade-up range. I don’t think that will happen. I also don’t think the second round makes sense: considering round two will be the last place to find starting talent at tackle or cornerback, I expect Pace to draft tight end Brevin Jordan with 52 overall.

So we’re looking at 3rd or 5th for QB. I’m going to say that the Bears trade up with the Panthers for the 73rd overall pick to draft Kellen Mond in round 3. Mond is a 4-year starter with desirable traits but not the development you want to see from a top prospect. The Bears may believe he was limited by a lack of surrounding talent and be encouraged enough by the subtle improvement he showed in his senior campaign to take a chance on the Aggie.

Robert Zeglinski: They’ll probably draft a quarterback in the later rounds, but I don’t have enough knowledge to be passionate about anyone outside of the top-five of the class. Chances are the guy ends up irrelevant anyway. Honestly boost the offensive line alone with top picks and I will truly not care about anything else in regards to this Bears draft.

Josh Sunderbruch: Yes. And I’m going to go with Mac Jones in Round 1, understanding of course that I really have no idea.

Ken Mitchell: Yes, I think they will pick a guy like Kellen Mond in the third.

Robert Schmitz: The Bears absolutely will, but I’m not sure how high. I think Pace would prefer to land Justin Fields/Russell Wilson/Trey Lance in a splash trade, but it’s unlikely that option will ultimately present itself — unless San Francisco really traded three 1st round picks for McCorkle Jones then I think the Bears will find themselves starting Andy Dalton in front of 3rd-round draftee Kellen Mond. It wouldn’t surprise me if the Bears take either Mond or Mills (ugh) in the 2nd, but I have a feeling Mond’s pocket intangibles/mobility combo will push him over Mills’ extremely raw skillset in the eyes of a coach and GM that need results ASAP.

Erik Christopher Duerrwaechter: Absolutely, yes. The real question is when will they draft a QB? I’m going to predict the Bears will draft a QB in the first round, but only after trading up considerably high. I predict Chicago trades up in the first round for the right to draft Trey Lance. My “Plan B” scenario is Chicago takes the best O-lineman or receiver on the board at 20th overall, then a QB like Kellen Mond in the 2nd-round.

Bill Zimmerman: The Bears will draft a quarterback. I would bet vital parts of my anatomy that they do just that. If they can’t get one of the top 5 QBs of this draft, I would think Kellen Mond would be the likely target. I’d love Mond in round 3 (even if they need to trade up in round 3, perhaps even using Anthony Miller to do it), but I have a feeling that Mond would require a 2nd-round pick. I also think Feleipe Franks is someone they could target on day 3 if things don’t break for them on day 1 or 2. As for a prediction, I’ll hope for Fields in round 1 or Mond on round 3, but my prediction is Kellen Mond in round 2.

Jack R Salo: No. I won’t let my salivation for a Bears rookie quarterback get in the way of facts. Ryan Pace has drafted one quarterback since he came aboard in 2015. Every year under his tenure, the Bears have been bad at the quarterback position. What could you possibly point to which makes you believe he’ll suddenly wake up and realize smart NFL GMs draft a quarterback every year they don’t have one? If they do draft one, it’s probably Sam Ehlinger in the 7th and they won’t protect him on the practice squad, so once a team has 2 injured quarterbacks he’ll be signed away as the backup-to-the-emergency quarterback.

Sam Householder: I would be shocked if they didn’t. I will say it’s going to Texas A&M’s Mond at the end of round 1. I think the Bears will trade back into the first round to make sure they get their guy, even if no one else was clamoring for him. That’s truly the Ryan Pace move, isn’t it?

Lester A. Wiltfong Jr.: I can see the Bears wanting to move up if QB4 or QB5 starts to slip a little, but ultimately I feel they’ll be outbid and fall back on Mond in the second-round. I’d rather they not use their lone 2nd-rounder on a developmental QB, but maybe Pace can maneuver around the board and get an extra day three pick somehow.

Now it’s your turn... Will the Bears finally draft a quarterback, and if so, in what round do you think it’ll be in?