The Chicago Bears entered the 2017 NFL draft with a clear need at quarterback, but most doubted general manager Ryan Pace’s willingness to use a top-five pick on the position.
After all, the Bears had just signed veteran Mike Glennon in free agency to a deal worth $16 million guaranteed in 2017. Conventional wisdom suggested the Bears would select a quarterback in the second or third rounds -- not the first.
Instead, Pace shocked the football world by trading up one spot with the San Francisco 49ers to draft North Carolina quarterback Mitchell Trubisky second overall.