Chicago Bears: Evaluating Trubisky among 2017 quarterback draft class

If I was asked to rank the three quarterbacks taken in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft based on 2018 season, I would rank Mahomes first, Watson second, Trubisky third. I don’t see any other logical ranking. However, that doesn’t mean Trubisky had a poor season, and that doesn’t mean that ranking will be the same in two years, or four years, or seven years.

There are a few things that Trubisky can do to get to the top of that list. First, he can take better care of the football. He only lost one fumble this season, but threw 12 interceptions. That has to change, and I believe it will. Most of his interceptions came as a result of bad decisions rather than inaccuracy. Trubisky’s decision-making will improve as he continues to learn the ins and outs of Nagy’s offense.

Second, Trubisky has to improve his ability to throw deep down the middle of the field. According to NFL.com’s Next Gen stats, Trubisky’s passer rating on throws 10-20 yards down the middle of the field was 65.2. The league average for those throws is 92.9.

It gets worse for throws 20+ yards down the middle of the field. While the league average passer rating for those throws is 89.6, Trubisky’s was only 25.0. He has the arm strength (those numbers are noticeably better on the sideline throws), but he has to learn to get comfortable in the pocket long enough to set his feet and accurately throw deep passes down the middle.

Yes, Trubisky at this time is the third best of quarterback taken in the first round of the 2017 draft. However, his progress this year has shown that he has the potential to get to the top of that list.