Final prediction for the Bears in the 1st round of the 2017 NFL Draft
The months of mock drafts and talking-head analysis are finally coming to an end tonight. Ryan Pace will reveal to Bears nation who the team covets with the No. 3 pick, and who the fan base will rely on to become the next team leader and franchise player.
The 2017 NFL Draft will have the most unpredictable first round in many years. It starts at the top, where the Cleveland Browns could very easily take UNC quarterback Mitchell Trubisky instead of the best player in the class, Texas A&M edge defender Myles Garrett.
The San Francisco 49ers could go quarterback at No. 2, or Stanford's dominant defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. There's a chance they could pluck LSU safety Jamal Adams, too.
A lot of what Chicago will do depends on what happens with the first two picks, but the Bears should have only one focus: Draft Deshaun Watson. In fact, it would be surprising if they don't take him, considering the makeup of the quarterback depth chart right now.
Mike Glennon, Pace's hand-picked replacement for Jay Cutler, has a chance to be a quality starting quarterback. But there's an equal probability that he's better off serving as the Bears' top backup.
Mark Sanchez is a veteran whose best contribution will be made in the meeting rooms and on the sideline. If he has to start, the Bears are doomed.
Enter Watson, who by all accounts checks every box that Pace values when scouting quarterbacks. He's a winner. He's experienced. He has plenty of arm talent and he can make plays with his legs.
He's a no-brainer.
Whether Pace feels comfortable enough with Watson to pull the trigger at the third pick will soon be known. No matter what he decides, Watson will ultimately be what makes or breaks Pace's future with the Bears.
If he drafts him and he becomes a quarterback unlike any Chicago has ever had, Pace will be in the general manager chair for as long as he wants to be. If he drafts Watson and he's a bust, Pace will have a hard time ever becoming a GM again.
Likewise, if he passes on Watson, and he becomes one of the league's best young quarterbacks? Bears fans will never forgive him.
At the end of the day, all signs point to Watson being the best player for a Bears team in desperate need for a new face of the franchise.
He'll be the No. 3 pick.
