Chicago Bears: Chances of drafting a top QB just fell dramatically

The Chicago Bears chances of drafting a quarterback in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft just took a substantial hit.

If you weren’t thrilled with the signing of Andy Dalton and had been holding out hope that the Bears still had a big move up their sleeve, that likely won’t come in the draft. So absent a big time turn of events in the Russell Wilson saga, it looks more and more likely as if Dalton will be under center come September.

Let’s start with the news that has led to this conclusion.

Chicago Bears chances of taking a quarterback in the draft take a big hit

Let’s start with BYU quarterback Zach Wilson, who held his Pro Day on Friday and showcased his talents for NFL teams in the market for a franchise quarterback. Among them are the New York Jets, who now appear ready to move on from Sam Darnold and select Wilson.

As ESPN’s Rich Cimini tweeted out on Thursday, the job appears to be Wilson’s to lose. In other words, if the Jets like what they see at his Pro Day, and it confirms what they’ve seen on tape, it is very likely they will make him the No. 2 overall pick, after Trevor Lawrence who is the prohibitive favorite to be taken No. 1 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Then, early Friday afternoon, Adam Schefter broke the news that the San Francisco 49ers had executed a trade with the Miami Dolphins to acquire their No. 3 overall pick. It seems clear the 49ers have their eyes on selecting a quarterback at No. 3. In fact, according to Schefter, the team does not have a specific quarterback in mind, but believes they will be comfortable with what they perceive to be their options after the first two picks.

Regardless of how the first three picks shake out, the fact of the matter is the Bears would have to be comfortable moving all the way up to No. 4 — a move that would require a considerable amount of assets — just to select the fourth quarterback in the draft. The reality is that quarterback will likely be either Trey Lance or Mac Jones, assuming Lawrence, Wilson, and Justin Fields are the first three off the board.

Now perhaps the 49ers end up taking Lance. This would mean Fields and Jones would be the two available quarterbacks. Jones would be a considerable reach at No. 4. So the only way a move up that high would seem plausible for the Bears is if Fields, and to a lesser extent Lance, are on the board — though even the latter feels like a reach at No. 4.

In any event, without knowing how the top three picks will shake out, any deal likely wouldn’t occur until on draft night after the first three picks were made. However, the odds of them making a big move for a quarterback in the draft just decreased significantly.