Matt Bowen knows a lot about football. He played in the NFL for several years as a safety and has built a highly respectable second career as a top analyst for ESPN. His film study is some of the best out there. That is why his opinion is often valued above others. He’s kept a close eye on the Chicago Bears over the past year, getting a good feel for where their roster is under new head coach Ben Johnson. Looking ahead to the NFL draft, Bowen is of the mind that they would be wise to target either a safety or a defensive tackle at #25.
However, 104.3 The Score couldn’t resist asking him about the wide receiver situation. Chicago traded D.J. Moore to Buffalo, leaving some uncertainty on the depth chart behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden. Spiegel & Holmes wanted to know if there was a possibility someone could be available in the 1st round the Bears might take. Bowen doesn’t think that is happening. However, he does see one particular name that is certain to have Johnson’s attention once they go back on the clock in the 2nd round.
Zacharia Branch is very much a Ben Johnson guy.
Bowen is right on the money with his evaluation. Historically, Johnson has preferred receivers who do take designed plays beyond the design. He wants guys who can think and create for themselves after the catch. It is why he was a big proponent of drafting Jameson Williams in Detroit and Burden in Chicago. With Moore, who was another great YAC weapon, gone to Buffalo, it makes sense that the Bears’ head coach would like to search for a similar weapon. Smith checks that box.
Wrap your head around this. Branch had 811 yards last season for Georgia. No less than 632 of them were after the catch. He was forced to do a lot of the heavy lifting himself. Former star receiver Steve Smith was livid after watching Georgia’s game tape, calling their offensive scheme pathetic. They never utilized Branch properly, and it hurt his draft stock in the end. He is far better than the numbers say. A better coach should be able to get far more from him. Enter Ben Johnson.
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Johnson won’t ignore the wide receivers.
This is a coach who likes to keep the deck stacked. He has every reason to, as well. The Bears still have questions about the position’s stability. Odunze played through a foot injury last season. His health remains uncertain going into next year. Burden was incredibly explosive but still needs to learn to operate more efficiently. Outside of them, the only remaining veteran presence is Kalif Raymond, their free agent signing from Detroit. They are one injury away from being in a bad spot.
Bowen makes it sound like the Bears will have some really good options in the 2nd and 3rd rounds. Branch is one of them. Germie Bernard of Alabama and De’Zhaun Stribling of Ole Miss are two other names they’ve been monitoring. Don’t expect the Bears to go for one in the 1st round. It’s not sensible, even with that best player available mantra. Once the 57th pick comes up, though? All bets are off. If Johnson sees somebody he wants, he may push Poles to put the card in.
