Chicago Bears 2021 NFL Draft: 3 bold predictions for draft weekend

During his seven-year tenure as the general manager of the Chicago Bears, Ryan Pace has made one thing clear with his draft approach. If there is a player that Pace has identified as his guy, then Pace is going to do everything in his power to select that player.

Look no further than Mitchell Trubisky, Leonard Floyd, and Anthony Miller; Pace is not afraid to move up in the draft if he has the chance at selecting a player that he has targeted.

The popular theory this off-season is that Pace will be handcuffed at the 2021 NFL Draft with what Bears’ chairman George McCaskey and team president Ted Phillips allow him to do. That theory is tied to the idea that Pace is likely entering the final year of his reign as the general manager of the Bears.

Here is the thing, that theory holds no weight. Dating back to the end of season press conference, McCaskey and Phillips essentially provided Pace with a vote of confidence. Not only was a vote of confidence provided, McCaskey and Phillips confirmed that Pace was the top mind when it comes to the football decisions that the organization makes. Therefore, it stands to reason that Pace would not be blocked by ownership if he made the decision to trade up in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft.

That would be the reason why the Chicago Bears will indeed be moving up in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The trend of Pace’s career as a general manager is he feels pressure if he feels that he is not going to be able to get his guy. That was the reason why the Bears rushed to sign Andy Dalton in March when all the other free agent quarterbacks were quickly signing with other teams.

Pace is not going to stand pat with the 20th overall selection while potential targets are taken off the board. The only question that remains is who will Pace be targeting when he does move up in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft?