One of the debates that’s dominated NFL draft discussions to this point has been whether the Bears should use the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL draft to select a quarterback.
There’s been no indication that Chicago would be leaning in that direction — and why should they — especially after Justin Fields emerged as one of the league’s most electric players last season.
With Alabama’s Bryce Young the presumed QB1 of this draft class, some have said the Bears should select Young and trade Fields. But that’s not necessarily the best move, especially considering how long it’s taken Chicago to find an exciting, young QB like Fields and nothing is guaranteed.
NFL Network analyst Daniel Jeremiah was asked about the Fields vs. Young debate during a conference call ahead of the NFL Combine next week, and he explained his position.
“I have a higher grade on Bryce coming out than I did on Justin, but I don’t think that Bryce is a great fit in Chicago,” he said. “And Justin, you know, obviously — I think the evaluation is both easy and complicated. It’s easy in that you can see the play-making ability and what he has done with his legs and the competitiveness and the toughness. That’s easy to see.
“Then, it’s complicated because how do you evaluate him with what he has got, with who he is working with?”
Jeremiah likened Fields’ situation to another young quarterback who recently took a big step forward in Philadelphia’s Jalen Hurts. It’s a popular and easy comparison to make. Just last offseason, people questioned whether Hurts was the guy in Philadelphia after his first two seasons. But he took a massive step forward in Year 3 — thanks to some help from the front office — and was in the MVP conversation.
Jeremiah, who knows people inside the Eagles organization, pointed to Hurts’ commitment and work ethic and how it ultimately paid off. And from what we’ve heard about Fields and his work ethic, there’s no reason to believe Fields can’t make a similar step forward — with some help from GM Ryan Poles.
“I don’t have the same relationships there in Chicago. I’ve never heard anything that would lead me to believe that Justin is not doing that,” Jeremiah said. “If Justin is doing what he needs to be doing from that standpoint, I would be, like, oh, this guy has so much ability, and he is committed to it. Let’s give him some help and try to build around him.”
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