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Mitchell Trubisky has been the NFL Draft’s hottest quarterback prospect for several weeks, but in the first-round of the draft, he emerged as the X-factor.
The Chicago Bears traded a sizable haul to the San Francisco 49ers to move up one spot to the No. 2 pick and select Trubisky.
In a relatively weak quarterback class, Trubisky has been a quick-riser, as teams became enamored with a quarterback with a big arm, mobility, and limited game tape.
Trubisky started just 13 games in college, spending two seasons on the bench behind two-year starter Marquise Williams. When he got the chance as a junior, Trubisky threw for 3,700 yards and 30 touchdowns and completed 68% of his passes, and then entered the NFL Draft.
Trubisky has been considered the top quarterback in the draft and was reportedly coveted by the Cleveland Browns, the most quarterback-hungry team in the league. The Browns, however, passed on him with the No. 1 pick and took Myles Garrett, the consensus best player in the draft.
The Browns passing on Trubisky at No. 1 opened up the possibility of some shuffling early in the first round. The Browns needed a quarterback, and by holding the No. 12 pick they could have tried to move back up to select him.
In the end, the Bears, lacking a long-term solution at quarterback, were the team that coveted Trubisky most.
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