Chicago Bears 2017 mock draft: Post NFL Combine and free agency

Nathan Peterman, QB, Pitt (6-foot-2, 226 pounds)

Yes, the Bears ushered in the Mike Glennon era. And yes, Pace gushed about him when talking to reporters about his signing.

"Mike Glennon is our starting quarterback and we’re fired up about that."

So fired up that he gave Glennon a three-year contract?

No offense to Glennon, but despite what Pace says (he said he followed Glennon from his NC State days), many don’t believe he is the answer at quarterback. The word “bridge” is commonly tagged with his name.

With that, I believe the Bears pick a quarterback early. Nathan Peterman is not a flashy quarterback, but he is a player who can do whatever you ask of him.

Peterman opened some eyes when he went up against the eventual College Football champions, Clemson. He delivered one of his best games, completing 22-of-37 for 308 yards and 5 touchdowns. He and the Panthers came away with an exciting 43-42 victory.

Peterman does a good job of going through his progressions. He won’t try to force his first option. Additionally, he does a great job of leading receivers away from contact. He sees plays developing early and makes the proper throws. In his two seasons at Pitt, he completed over 61 percent of his passes.

Emily Kaplan of Monday Morning Quarterback wrote about how Peterman’s stock started rising in the week of the Senior Bowl. A scout even compared him to Kirk Cousins.

"We’ll begin with Peterman because he’s been by far the most impressive quarterback here. Says one evaluator who has studied Peterman extensively: “He reminds me a lot of Kirk Cousins in this sense: He’s not going to blow you away with any of his traits, but he can do everything you need.”"

At the NFL Combine, Peterman continued to impress. He made all the throws during drills, and he did well with the interviews. Should the Chicago Bears draft him, it’ll be a good move.