2021 NFL Draft Rumors: Bears, Vikings 'Doing a Lot of Work' on QB Class

The Minnesota Vikings and Chicago Bears are not exactly locked in with elite options at quarterback for the long term with 32-year-old Kirk Cousins and 33-year-old Andy Dalton under center, so it should perhaps come as no surprise they are reportedly looking at signal-callers in the 2021 NFL draft.

According to Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, the two NFC North teams "are doing a lot of work on" the position for this year's draft. He suggested they likely won't take a quarterback in the first round but added "you never know."

The Vikings have the No. 14 pick in the first round and the Bears own the No. 20 pick.

This year's draft is loaded with quarterbacks who could go early, as B/R's NFL Scouting Department ranked Clemson's Trevor Lawrence (No. 1), Ohio State's Justin Fields (No. 2), North Dakota State's Trey Lance (No. 6) and BYU's Zach Wilson (No. 7) all in the top 10 of its big board for every prospect.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see all four of those players, as well as Alabama's Mac Jones, go in the top 10 to 15 picks of the draft later this month.

Bears head coach Matt Nagy was notably one of those in attendance at Fields' pro day on Wednesday.

It may require a trade up for either NFC North team to land one of those elite options. Chicago trading up would be especially notable since the last time the Bears traded up for a quarterback they took Mitchell Trubisky at No. 2 in the 2017 draft when Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson were still available.

Another high-profile mistake like that would set the franchise back even further.

If the teams do look for quarterbacks in the later rounds, Florida's Kyle Trask and Texas A&M's Kellen Mond would be potential options.