Without ranking the three most hyped quarterbacks in the NFL draft, whom he knows from experience, North Carolina State coach Dave Doeren offered insight into Clemson quarterback Deshaun Watson worth remembering for teams drafting in the top 10, like the Bears.
Not exactly known for being effusive, the former Northern Illinois coach gushed over the potential of a natural leader with 38 career starts who carried Clemson to a national title. To Doeren, believing in Watson is elementary.
"The intangibles he had, you can't coach that into a guy," Doeren told the Tribune. "If you're going to invest millions, invest in that guy's character because obviously Deshaun has enough tools to win. ... Look at (Cowboys rookie) Dak Prescott. People said he couldn't do certain things and the guy's intangibles were crazy. Personally, I'm taking a guy who is an experienced winner who has intangibles any day over some guy who hasn't done it a ton but looks good at the NFL combine."
Seemingly every day this offseason, an NFL quarterback rumor distracts Bears fans. The latest came Thursday with ESPN reporting Tony Romo expects the Cowboys to release him. (A guy with four starts in two years hardly is the sturdy bridge quarterback the Bears need.) The network also reported the Patriots are unlikely to trade Jimmy Garoppolo (And Chicago gasped. Garoppolo should be Plan A.) A day earlier, Bleacher Report floated the possibility of trading for Texans bust Brock Osweiler. (Seriously? Ryan Pace can just leave the keys at the Halas Hall door if that ridiculous idea ever happens.)
As speculation swirls over trades and free agency, draft evaluation intensifies on Watson, Mitch Trubisky of North Carolina and DeShone Kizer of Notre Dame. Mike Mayock of the NFL Network, as respected as any football analyst, ranked Kizer, Watson and Trubisky Nos. 1, 2 and 3, respectively. ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper Jr. reversed the order, projecting Kizer will fall out of the first round. None of the three strike me as the kind of transformational player worth the Bears taking at No. 3, but much can change in the two months before the NFL draft begins April 27. Just ask Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz.
Doeren stressed his praise for Watson had nothing to do with his opinion of Trubisky and Kizer, who lost games to N.C. State in 2016. He similarly respects Trubisky and Kizer and, while refusing to rank the quarterbacks, shared what he recalled from their games.
