Why did the Bears draft Mitch Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson?

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell stepped to the lectern. "With the second pick in the 2017 NFL draft ... "

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- I: 'The Chicago Bears select Mitchell Trubisky'

The cameras were rolling behind the scenes on that Thursday night in April. In Lake Forest and in Philadelphia. In this document-and-share age, the landmark moment required immediate cinematic treatment.

Bears general manager Ryan Pace had sent a jolt through the draft, trading up from No. 3 to No. 2 to select North Carolina quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

It was a surprising and pivotal moment, arguably the franchise's most significant move of the past decade. With so much adrenaline pumping, the cameras kept rolling, gathering moments that the organization could splice together for a fan-enticing social media montage.

The resulting video - 1 minute, 51 seconds - premiered on the Bears' official Twitter account the next morning.

There was Pace, upstairs at Halas Hall, congratulating colleagues in the draft room and emphasizing the collective belief the Bears had in identifying Trubisky as the quarterback they just couldn't live without.

"That's conviction," Pace said. "On a quarterback."

There was Trubisky, 790 miles away, backstage at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, beaming with pride while on the phone with Bears coach John Fox.

"I'm glad I landed in the right spot," the 22-year-old quarterback said. "We're going to make it work. It's going to be perfect."

April 27, 2017.

The Trubisky selection was the first of three milestone quarterback moves that night.

Within a span of 1 hour and 14 minutes, three general managers got what they wanted. Each traded up in the first round. Each took a bold swing at a franchise quarterback. And after their war-room hugs and high-fives and celebrations were complete, each openly detailed that night's meaningful decision.

With an undeniable rush, Pace expounded upon his philosophy of never having regrets, about making damn certain he would get the player he truly wanted. He highlighted Trubisky's accuracy, his ability to see and process the entire field, his knack for extending plays. He emphasized his unwavering belief that Trubisky had great "potential to be a championship quarterback," the key cog in allowing the Bears to enjoy sustained success.

"When you have an opportunity to get a quarterback of this caliber, you can't pass on it," Pace said.

In Kansas City, GM John Dorsey jumped 17 spots - from No. 27 to No. 10 - to select Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes.

The Chiefs already had a reliable quarterback in veteran Alex Smith and a playoff-caliber team that had won 12 games the previous season. Still, in Mahomes, Dorsey and his talent evaluation team saw a transcendent talent with comic-book arm strength, impressive athleticism and a penchant for creating big plays.

Finally, in Houston, the Texans were preparing to plaster Clemson's Deshaun Watson all over the city - on billboards, on media guides, on ticket stubs. Who wouldn't be excited about landing a quarterback who posted a 32-3 record as a college starter, becoming a Heisman Trophy runner-up and a national champion in the process?

No wonder Texans GM Rick Smith felt compelled to trade up from No. 25 to No. 12.

As it always goes on draft weekend, each organization felt invigorated, sensing unbridled promise for its future. But now, a little more than 2 1/2 years later, the review of that night and that entire pre-draft process feels so much different.

In Kansas City, Mahomes is the reigning league MVP, a walking YouTube montage of touchdown darts and look-away dimes and ambidextrous magic. In his first 27 starts, including two playoff games, he has posted 16 300-yard passing games, 16 games with at least three touchdown passes and 11 games with both.

In Houston, Watson's statistical production and galvanizing leadership have the Texans staring through a wide-open window of opportunity with a chance to remain Super Bowl contenders for the foreseeable future.

Here in Chicago? Trubisky's erratic play has become a major civic crisis with the bottom of the Bears' once-hopeful season in danger of falling out. In the most agitated pockets of the fan base, calls for 33-year-old journeyman Chase Daniel echoed throughout the recent four-game losing streak.

In mid-November of the quarterbacks' third seasons, the statistical comparisons are startling.

- Trubisky: 35 starts (including one playoff start), 7,109 passing yards, 40 touchdowns, 22 interceptions, an 87.2 rating and a 19-16 record.

- Mahomes: 27 starts (including two playoff starts), 8,580 passing yards, 71 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, a 111.5 rating and a 19-8 record.

- Watson: 32 starts (including one playoff start), 8,531 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, 23 interceptions, a 102.7 rating and a 20-12 record.

When the offseason arrives, there's a strong likelihood Mahomes and Watson will sign contract extensions that register as the most lucrative deals in league history. Meanwhile, Trubisky's development has gone wayward with the organization's faith in him being tested.

Not only has curiosity about Trubisky's second contract evaporated, there's now legitimate reason to question whether he even will remain the starter by Christmas.

So what happened? What went into the Bears' franchise-altering decision-making process before the 2017 draft? Why did Pace absolutely have to have Trubisky over Mahomes and Watson? And how did the Chiefs and Texans succeed where the Bears haven't in turning their quarterback dice rolls into a major payout?

To piece together the quarterback puzzle of the 2017 NFL draft, the Tribune spoke with more than two dozen people connected to the Bears, the league or the