Chicago Bears 2017 draft: Trading down in first round can be difficult
With the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, many want the Chicago Bears to trade down and acquire more picks. Doing that can be harder than you think, however.
The Chicago Bears have the third overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft. With that pick, many want them to trade down and acquire more picks to plug up the holes they have.
Trading down may not be as easy as it sounds, however. There are some players who can make an impact there, but some have questions. Also, there aren’t any who teams are clamoring for. That makes trading down more difficult.
In order for the Bears to cash in on their first round pick, there needs to be a team or two that sees a player they really want. Washington desperately wanted Robert Griffin III. They traded their first round and second-round picks in 2012, and their first-round picks in 2013 and 2014. Last year, the Philadelphia Eagles traded their first, third, and fourth-round picks, as well as their 2017 first-round and 2018 second-round picks to pick Carson Wentz at second overall.
Do you see any players with that demand in this year’s draft? The Cleveland Browns have a need for a quarterback, but they have some flexibility. They have the twelfth pick as well, so if they don’t feel there is someone valuable enough at the top of the draft, they may feel more comfortable with someone at twelve.
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Most of the quarterbacks in this draft have graded out as second-round prospects.Draft expert Mel Kiper says the quarterback class this year isn’t what it’s been in the past. “This isn’t a strong draft for quarterbacks,” Kiper wrote. “Trubisky is the best QB in the draft, but he’s only No. 16 on my Big Board. He has only one season of collegiate starting experience, completing 68.2 percent of his passes with 30 touchdown passes and six interceptions.”
Of course, that doesn’t mean some won’t go higher. For example, Kiper has Trubisky going second overall. He gave a second-round grade for Deshaun Watson. Even so, he has the Buffalo Bills selecting him with the tenth pick.
If the Chicago Bears really want to deal, the second round may be where they go. As I said, a lot of the quarterbacks in this class can go in the second round. If some teams feel more comfortable taking a quarterback in the second round, they would be more willing to deal at that point.
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Of course, things could change between now and April. How these players fare in the NFL Combine and their Pro Days can affect their status. As of now, however, the Chicago Bears need to prepare to use that number three pick.