NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears are set to embark on what might be the most important draft weekend of GM Ryan Pace’s tenure. After delivering a dud in 2019, they must make changes at important positions to get back on the winning track. After navigating the early waves of free agency, the team has moved into NFL Draft mode. With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the more promising draft-eligible prospects to see if there’s a fit for the Bears in 2020.
Previous targets: QB Jake Fromm, OL Josh Jones, OL Austin Jackson, TE Brycen Hopkins, CB Cameron Dantzler, WR KJ Hamler, QB James Morgan, TE Cole Kmet
Potential Target, Position, School
Performance, Prospect Rankings, and Accomplishments
One Thing the NFL.com Draft Profile Says…
“He’ll struggle to beat NFL defenses from the pocket, but his ability to grind out yards on the ground and make off-schedule plays should make him a solid backup with upward mobility.”
You can read the full profile here.
Bears Connection
Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller views Hurts as a dream fit for Matt Nagy’s offense:
Jalen Hurts (@JalenHurts) in Matt Nagy's offense is my dream fit for him. #Bears #BearDown pic.twitter.com/wLIw7R7kh8
— Matt Miller (@nfldraftscout) March 24, 2020
And this isn’t the first time Miller has made the connection between the two, as he has been ahead of the curve in linking the Bears as a possible landing spot for Hurts:
https://twitter.com/brgridiron/status/1186809463241613312?s=20
Highlights
Where’s the Fit?
Even with NFL Draft insiders warning against drafting a quarterback in the second round, Hurts figures to be the most intriguing prospect of the bunch who will be available when the Bears go on the clock.
Few draft-eligible prospects are as decorated as Hurts. Seriously, re-read the “Accomplishments” section above. And that Hurts starred at two blue-blood powerhouse schools is not lost on me, either. To play well in pressure-cooker environments might bode well for Hurts as he enters what is expected to be a rigorous battle for him from the bottom of an NFL team’s quarterbacking depth chart.
Hurts checks a bunch of boxes. His leadership is unquestionable. His play-making ability is equal parts fun and impressive. Mobility inside the pocket and in open space is a plus. Hurts, who has long been one of our favorite college quarterbacks, is far from a perfect prospect. But he reminds me of that old adage about the whole being greater than the sum of its parts — especially if he lands in the right system.
