Mitchell Trubisky didn't see it coming either.
The Chicago Bears drafted their latest quarterback of the future in a stunner Thursday night, grabbing North Carolina's Trubisky with the No. 2 overall pick after trading up a spot with the San Francisco 49ers and surrendering three draft choices to do it.
There was some thought the Bears might wait a round or two before taking a quarterback after signing Mike Glennon last month to replace the departed Jay Cutler. Instead, they swapped picks with the 49ers and gave them a third- and fourth-round choice this year plus a third-rounder next year. It was a surprising move, particularly since San Francisco general manager John Lynch was ready to take Stanford defensive lineman Solomon Thomas at No. 2.
The 6-foot-2, 222-pound Trubisky had little contact with the Bears leading up to the draft. He met with them at the combine and had another meeting with them around his pro day last month.
Trubisky had a breakout junior season for the Tar Heels last year. He set the single-season the school's single-season record for yards passing (3,748), touchdowns (30) and total offense (4,056) in 2016. He ranked fifth in the country with a 68.0 completion percentage while throwing just six interceptions. He also ran for five touchdowns last season, after backing up quarterback Marquise Williams as a freshman and sophomore.
The Bears finished last in the NFC North at 3-13 in their second season under general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox. Years of shoddy drafting combined with a long list of injuries exposed a glaring lack of depth. It all added up to Chicago's lowest win total since the 1973 team went 3-11, the most losses since a 1-13 finish in 1969 and a busy offseason for a rebuilding team.
The Bears dumped Cutler after eight seasons and signed Glennon, giving them some leeway to wait on a QB. But Pace jumped at the opportunity to take Trubisky.
He might back up Glennon at first, though Chicago is counting on him to develop into the star quarterback the franchise has lacked so many seasons with his arm strength and quickness.
>>Packers Trade Out of First Round
After taking Myles Garrett with the first-overall pick, they traded down in the first round and landed Jabrill Peppers at No. 25. Not to be outdone, the Browns traded back into the first round for another selection, this time moving up from No. 33 to No. 29, swapping places with the Packers. And for their troubles, the Packers also get the Browns' 2017 fourth-round pick.
Cleveland, with needs up and down the roster, finally addressed the offense -- but not with a quarterback. Instead, it took one of the most athletic tight ends in the entire class, former Miami standout David Njoku, with the No. 29 pick.
The Packers meanwhile, are still looking for defensive help, either at pass rusher or in the secondary.
