Chicago Bears trade up to take QB Mitchell Trubisky with No. 2 pick in the NFL Draft

By Andre Vergara
Published

The Chicago Bears traded up one spot to take North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky with the No. 2 pick in the 2017 NFL Draft on Thursday night.

"It was crazy," Trubisky told reporters. "There was no call. I didn't think I was going to be picked until the commissioner said my name."

The San Francisco 49ers received the No. 3 pick, which they used to selected Stanford defensive end Solomon Thomas, a third-rounder (No. 67), a fourth-rounder (No. 111) and a 2018 third-rounder.

It was an expected move by the Niners but a stunner by the Bears, who signed QB Mike Glennon to a three-year, $45 million contract earlier this offseason. GM Ryan Pace told reporters that Glennon is the starter, but now he'll be pushed by Trubisky, who ranks fifth at North Carolina in career passing touchdowns (41), sixth in yards passing (4,762) and seventh in total offense (5,201).

The 6-foot-2, 222-pounder had a breakout season for the Tar Heels last year. He set the single-season the school's single-season record for yards passing (3,748), touchdowns (30) and total offense (4,056) in 2016. He ranked fifth in the country with a 68.0 completion percentage while throwing just six interceptions. He also ran for five touchdowns last season.

The Bears were in need of a starting quarterback after parting ways with their top four from last season (Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer, Matt Barkley, David Fales). The Bears finished last in the NFC North at 3-13 in their second season under Pace and coach John Fox.

Pace said teams that need a quarterback were calling him about the No. 3 pick — and Niners GM John Lynch confirmed he had several offers — so Pace felt compelled to move up to grab Trubisky.

"I didn't want to sit on our hands and have some team jump us or have it not work out," Pace told reporters. "When we were this close, within reach of a player that was all really valued, I didn't want to sit on our hands and risk not getting that player."

But Bears fans didn't exactly rejoice over the move to draft Trubisky, the first quarterback drafted in the first round by Chicago since Rex Grossman was selected 22nd overall in in 2003.

https://twitter.com/SInow/status/857752477063667712

However, FOX Sports' Dieter Kurtenbach writes that the Bears' decision makes perfect sense for a team in desperate need of a franchise quarterback.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.