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2017 NFL Draft Chicago Bears: How Mitchell Trubisky Selection Affects Depth Chart

By Khari Thompson

Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mitchell Trubisky (North Carolina) shakes hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 2 overall pick to the Chicago Bears in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Mitchell Trubisky (North Carolina) shakes hands with NFL commissioner Roger Goodell (right) as he is selected as the number 2 overall pick to the Chicago Bears in the first round the 2017 NFL Draft at Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Now the Chicago Bears stunned everyone by taking Mitchell Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft, how will he fit into their quarterback depth chart?

The Chicago Bears just masterfully trolled everyone, moving up to #2 overall to draft quarterback Mitchell Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft. All the thoughts of the Bears playing it safe and going defense first? Yep…we were wrong about that? And the thought that the “elevating program” meant that the Bears wanted Deshaun Watson? I thought that might be smoke, but I definitely wasn’t expecting this.

Anyway, what does this mean for Chicago in the immediate future?

As we all know, The Bears signed Mike Glennon to start for them at quarterback this season. However, despite all the talk how “fired up” Ryan Pace was about Glennon, he’s basically on a one-year deal. Clearly, this move to select Trubisky is a nod to that.

For now, there’s no reason to expect that Glennon won’t be the starter Week 1, even with Trubisky going second overall. Trubisky isn’t ready to handle an NFL offense right now. He needs experience with reading NFL defenses and processing full-field route concepts, which he didn’t do much in college. In fact, it’s likely that Trubisky starts out third on the depth chart behind veteran Mark Sanchez. John Fox isn’t the kind of coach that just gives spots to rookies. He’ll have to earn it.

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But don’t expect Trubisky to stay low on the depth chart for long. I think that he will start getting second-team reps by the time the third preseason game rolls around at least. And if the Bears want him to get as many potential reps as possible, making him the primary backup would be wise. Ultimately, depending on how much the Bears like Connor Shaw, who will likely start the year as the fourth-string quarterback, Sanchez may not make the final roster. Most likely, Glennon can serve as the primary mentor for Trubisky without him.

Quarterback Controversy?

The question is: will the Bears turn to Trubisky early if Glennon struggles or gets injured? Given how much Pace just invested in him, the pressure to play him will be high. This was always going to be the risk in taking a quarterback with their first pick, trade-up or no. I would hope they don’t rush him into action before he’s ready to play, which is less likely with Fox in win-now mode. But Pace just hitched his Bears career to Trubisky in giving up three picks (two in 2017, one in 2018) for him. How can we be sure that the Bears won’t look to Trubisky this year if the team starts to falter?

Next: Chicago Bears stun NFL, move up for Mitchell Trubisky

One thing’s for sure: Ryan Pace just changed the game with this pick. By taking Trubisky in the 2017 NFL Draft, he went and got the guy he thinks will bring the Chicago Bears a Super Bowl. Therefore, when this year is over, don’t be shocked if Bears dump Glennon and roll with their hand-picked golden goose.

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