On Thursday night, the NFL Draft 2017 edition kicked off with the Cleveland Browns. As expected, they selected Texas A&M defensive star Myles Garrett. While there were no surprises there, the second pick brought a surprise to many analysts and fans. The Chicago Bears traded a group of their NFL draft picks this year and next year to the San Francisco 49ers in order to move up to No. 2. With that move, they selected North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky, shocking the NFL world. Here's the latest on the trade and what Mitchell Trubisky brings to the struggling Chicago Bears team.
Mitch Trubisky's resume
Most of the analysts on the NFL Network said they "didn't see this coming" as it was expected the Chicago Bears would take Solomon Thomas with their pick. At 6 foot 2 and 222 pounds, he's got quick feet and a quick release. He's also considered "most ready to play" of all the quarterback prospects headed to the NFL. However, he only has 13 college starts under his belt which has some questioning his experience.
Trubisky became the starter for UNC this past season, the quarterback threw for 3,748 yards and 30 touchdowns on his 304-of-446 completed passes. The team finished at 8-5 for the college football season under him. Trubisky also set a variety of records at UNC which has fans excited to see what he'll bring to the professional league.
A shot on the NFL Network showed some Chicago fans looking like they were disappointed by the pick, as they'd maybe hoped for some help on defense. Shortly after the Bears made their pick, the San Francisco 49ers scooped up Solomon Thomas at No. 3, and then the Jacksonville Jaguars went for running back Leonard Fournette out of LSU.
A veteran mentor
The Bears brought quarterback Mike Glennon over from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of this move. That will provide Mitch Trubisky a veteran mentor to be the understudy for as a member of Chicago Bears. He'll be an heir apparent to a team that was guided by Jay Cutler for many seasons but failed to reach any major postseason success under his guidance.
One thing is for sure, Chicago Bears fans will be hoping for a turnaround with their team. Last season saw the "Windy City" football squad finish with a disappointing record of 3-13 with their longtime quarterback Jay Cutler being released once the season was over. Now they'll look for a fresh start in Chicago behind Mitchell Trubisky and Mike Glennon.