Ranking the Bears Last 10 First-Round Picks, Worst to Best
7. Mitchell Trubisky, QB - 2017
If we take the position of the player and spot he was picked into account, Trubisky may have headlined this list for worst picks in the past decade. The Bears will have to be reminded for the rest of their lives that they passed on Patrick Mahomes for Mitch Trubisky. In their defense, however, not many people had any idea Mahomes would do what he has done in the league. What hurts the most about this pick was that the Bears traded up from a spot they likely could've still landed him at when they moved up to 3rd overall to take him.
Trubisky is fifth in Bears' passing yards all-time with 10,609. This should tell you all you need to know on how bad the position has been for them. He did also lead the Bears to a division title in 2018 and almost a playoff win if not for a Cody Parkey double-doink. Nonetheless, he simply never lived up to the hype of a 3rd overall pick and the Bears declined to pick up his fifth-year option in 2020. He has been a backup in the league since.
6. Justin Fields, QB - 2021
To be fair right off the bat, the Chicago Bears failed Justin Fields just as much as Justin Fields failed the Chicago Bears. Matt Nagy and Ryan Pace moved up and selected him 11th overall in 2021 in attempts to save their jobs after being on the hot seat from the Trubisky era. The initial plan was for Fields to sit behind veteran Andy Dalton, but he ended up being thrust into the lineup earlier than expected and was done no favors in scheme from head coach Matt Nagy.
On the flip side, is Justin Fields a one-read quarterback? That can definitely be debated here as well. Fans love to bash offensive coordinators for play-calling but there was plenty of film showing guys open and Fields either not seeing them or not having the confidence to throw it to them. Fields has been one of the most electric running quarterbacks since he entered the league, but his passing numbers just have not been there so far.
Fields was playing with plumbers and concession workers in 2022, his first full year starting. 2023 was supposed to be the year he put it all together and had the weapons to do so. He did end up having his best year passing, but the numbers were still anything to drool over. He finished the year with 2,562 yards and 16 touchdowns. With the Bears having the number one pick in the upcoming draft, they decided to trade Fields to the Steelers for a sixth-round pick. I think Bears fans will be cheering for him, but it just wasn't going to workout in Chicago unfortunately.