5 players Bears should draft in the first round

The Bears are still desperate to secure an upgrade at quarterback. Can Chicago make that happen in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft?

The NFL quarterback carousel is in full swing but the Bears still haven’t managed to nab their franchise quarterback of the future. In a perfect world, they’d like to use their first round pick in April’s draft to accomplish that objective. The problem for Chicago is that they don’t go on the clock until the No. 20 overall selection.

That pick almost certainly won’t be high enough to grab one of the consensus top four signal-callers in this year’s class. If the Bears want Trevor Lawrence, Justin Fields, Zack Wilson, or Trey Lance they’ll need to trade up. Landing Mac Jones at 20 is possible, but he could also go off the board in the top 10.

If Chicago doesn’t go for a quarterback in Round 1, they need to select a wide receiver capable of opening up their offense in 2021. Allen Robinson will almost certainly leave the team in free agency. Finding a No. 1 option to replace him should be a huge priority for Matt Nagy and his coaching staff.

Trading up is a serious option for Chicago. As such, Bears fans should keep a close eye on the following five prospects.

5. Trey Lance

Lance is one name on this list that will absolutely require a trade up the board if the Bears want to acquire him. It might take him a few weeks to adjust to life in the NFL, but stylistically he’s a perfect fit for Nagy’s offense.

His mobility would give Chicago’s offense an extra dimension it desperately needs. His accuracy from inside the pocket needs to improve, but he’s already better than Mitchell Trubisky in that regard. Lance might be worth the cost of moving up 10 or so spots for the Bears.