New 2021 mock draft has Bears making aggressive trade for QB

Get used to this, Bears fans. The narrative surrounding Chicago during the run-up to the 2021 NFL draft will focus on quarterback, and for good reason.

The expected departure of Mitch Trubisky and the failed trade for Nick Foles has QB as the team’s top need, and with a few first-round-worthy passers in this year’s class, it’s logical to connect the Bears to at least one of them.

Here’s the problem: Chicago picks 20th overall, which usually means they’ll be outside the strike zone for any of this year’s top names. Or will they?

According to the latest 2021 mock draft from The Draft Network, the Bears make an aggressive trade to No. 8 overall to acquire North Dakota State’s Trey Lance.

The mock’s author, Ben Solak, has GM Ryan Pace parting with the 20th pick this year and a first- and third-round pick in 2022 to swap spots with the Panthers for Lance, the toolsy yet raw FCS signal-caller.

This is quite the leap of faith with Lance, who has just one season of starter’s experience at a lower level of college ball. Sure, Lance has all the traits required from a first-round pick, but he also screams of the kind of prospect who will get a general manager fired in a year or two.

Buyer beware with Lance, and considering the blazing hot seat that both Pace and coach Matt Nagy are on, I’d imagine they’ll look elsewhere for their quarterback fix.

Story continues

In Round 2, Solak sends the Bears Lance’s college teammate in offensive tackle Dillon Radunz. This is a selection that would qualify as a home run on my scale, considering I believe Radunz has borderline first-round ability. The only thing preventing him from receiving a surefire first-round grade is the level of competition he faced at North Dakota State.

Radunz will participate in the 2021 Senior Bowl where he’ll have an opportunity to showcase his skill set against top competition. If he holds up in Mobile, Alabama, he’ll elevate his stock into that first-round range.

The Bears need help along the offensive line and can especially use an upgrade at tackle, where both Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie’s best days may be behind them.

Enter Radunz, who’d be an immediate upgrade in athleticism at the position and would likely earn a starting role early in his Bears career, should this pick come to fruition.

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