2017 NFL Mock Draft: First-round projections after Week 11
57. . QB. Clemson. Deshaun Watson. 4. player
Jay Cutler has been awful in the short amount of time he’s seen the field this season. Truth of the matter is, Brian Hoyer has been a more effective player for the Bears and he might very well be the starter next season if he’s healthy and if Cutler departs. There’s a good chance both of those happen.
However, if Jay is gone this offseason, the Bears will likely look to the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft for a future starter. There are just a few quarterbacks worthy of this top-five placement and even though he’s had a tough few weeks, Deshaun Watson should be selected here.
Chicago could use a nice change of pace. The Bears have had pocket passers for as long as I can remember and Watson provides a dual-threat ability. Many think he’s had a bad year, but Watson has actually provided decent numbers and is the main reason why Clemson is in the playoff hunt.
The junior quarterback has passed for 3,077 yards and 17 touchdowns while rushing for378 yards and two scores. His rushing numbers are way down, but he’s trying to become a better passer. One area of concern, though, is the high interception rate.