One week from Thursday, the NFL draft will begin. You know what that means: There is absolutely nothing left to say about the NFL draft.
We have talked about it to within an inch of its life over the past few months. We’ve written every word that could possibly be written about all the draft prospects. A year ago, we didn’t know who North Dakota State’s Carson Wentz was or where North Dakota was. Now we have committed Wentz’ formative years in Bismarck to memory, and we know that North Dakota is quite possibly north of South Dakota.
We also know that Wentz will not be coming to the Bears, which is a shame. The idea of having the quarterback of the future on the roster is an enticing one. Alas, the Bears have the 11th overall pick, and it’s extremely unlikely Wentz or the other top quarterback, California’s Jared Goff, will fall that far in the first round.
The Bears need defensive help in the worst way. We all know that. Someone with the ability to rush the passer at the professional level would get a bear hug of an embrace from the local populace. A cornerback would be cheered. Anyone from Oregon defensive end DeForest Buckner to Georgia outside linebacker Leonard Floyd to Florida cornerback Vernon Hargreaves III would be warmly received.
But I keep holding out hope that Bears general manager Ryan Pace will pull a Day 1 surprise involving a quarterback. I don’t think Jay Cutler is bad. I just don’t think he’s going to lead the Bears to a Super Bowl — the Super Bowl being the whole idea.
I hope a talented young quarterback isn’t a year or two away from being on the Bears’ radar. You can turn a defense around with a few shrewd picks. You can’t manufacture a quarterback.
