In 2017, the Chicago Bears thought that they were taking their quarterback of the future with Mitch Trubisky, so much so that they took the quarterback out of North Carolina with the second overall pick in that year’s NFL Draft, making Trubisky the first QB taken that year.
That selection didn’t pan out the way that either party had hoped it would, and after just four seasons with the Bears, Trubisky was onto a different team. Fast forward to the current day, Trubisky is currently a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers and is on his third team in his seven years in the NFL.
To make matters worse, and using the benefit of hindsight here, it looks like there were at least a couple of quarterbacks in that 2017 NFL Draft that the Bears would have rather drafted over Trubisky, one of whom is a superstar. Let’s take a look at all of the quarterbacks that were taken in that year’s draft that went after Trubisky.
The Nine QBs Who Went After Mitch Trubisky
There were 10 total quarterbacks drafted in the 2017 NFL Draft. Trubisky was chief among them that year, however, there is at least one, maybe two other guys that went after him that have the Bears kicking themselves a bit.
Second QB Taken – Patrick Mahomes (10th Overall – Kansas City Chiefs)
This is the one that has got to keep the decision-makers up at night. The Bears took Trubisky at No. 2; meanwhile, the Chiefs traded up to No. 10 and took a generational talent in Patrick Mahomes with their first-round pick.
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While the Kansas City Chiefs had conviction and belief in Mahomes enough to trade up for him, not many could have believed the trajectory that he has been on since entering the league. Despite that, any way you look at it, this was a catastrophic mistake that set the Bears back years.
Third QB Taken – Deshaun Watson (12th Overall – Houston Texans)
Despite the transgressions he has faced over the last few seasons, it is tough to deny the talent Deshaun Watson has. On purely a talent basis, this feels like another miss by the Bears organization, even if they do not feel as poorly about this decision as they would with the Mahomes one.
Watson is currently a member of the Cleveland Browns and is on injured reserve at this time.
Fourth QB Taken – DeShone Kizer (52nd Overall – Cleveland Browns)
The fourth quarterback taken is where the divide begins, and the emotions regarding missing them stop. The sad part for the Bears is that Trubisky’s career arc feels much more along the lines of DeShone Kizer’s and the others that came after him than it ever did compared to the two previously mentioned.
Kizer is currently out of the NFL at this time.
Fifth QB Taken – Davis Webb (87th Overall – New York Giants)
Davis Webb never panned out in New York, and while you get later in the draft and the hit rate on QBs becomes smaller and smaller, this feels like a miss by the Giants by really any metric.
Webb’s playing days are over now, and he is currently the QBs coach for the Denver Broncos.
Sixth QB Taken – C.J. Beathard (104th Overall – San Francisco 49ers)
Despite never being the guy for any franchise he has played for, Beathard has carved out a nice journeyman career for himself. Beathard is currently with the Jacksonville Jaguars and may be in line to start for the Jags in Week 14 with the availability of Trevor Lawrence up in the air due to an ankle injury.
Seventh QB Taken – Joshua Dobbs (135th Overall – Pittsburgh Steelers)
Joshua Dobbs very well may be the most successful QB of this class that isn’t named Mahomes or Watson. Although he has been a journeyman who has bounced around to several teams in his career so far, Dobbs has found success in his current stop with the Minnesota Vikings.
Eighth QB Taken – Nathan Peterman (171th Overall – Buffalo Bills)
Nathan Peterman has bounced around and has found a way to hang around the league throughout his career. He has never been the guy for a franchise, but has always scrapped and clawed his way onto rosters and is still currently with the Bears in 2023.
Ninth QB Taken – Brad Kaaya (215th Overall – Detroit Lions)
After being drafted by the Detroit Lions, Brad Kaaya was cut before the regular season started. While he bounced around a few practice squads for a couple of seasons, Kaaya never appeared in an NFL game and is no longer in the NFL at this time.
Tenth QB Taken – Chad Kelly (253rd Overall – Denver Broncos)
The 10th and final QB taken in the 2017 NFL Draft was Buffalo Bills legend Jim Kelly’s nephew, Chad Kelly. Kelly struggled with off-the-field things throughout his college and pro days and never was able to hang on in the NFL as a result. Kelly has been the quarterback of the Toronto Argonauts in the CFL since 2022.