It almost feels like a certainty that the Chicago Bears will draft a wide receiver with one of their 2nd round pick this week. They have to. Justin Fields needs weapons. Darnell Mooney is a good player, but he’s one man. Byron Pringle was supposed to help, but he’s already in trouble after getting arrested in Florida. The options beyond those too get dicey in a hurry. GM Ryan Poles can’t afford to ignore his quarterback’s weaponry.
At the same time, history isn’t on his side when it comes to that position. Since the start of the modern era in the late 1960s, the Bears have selected eight wide receivers in the 2nd round. Suffice to say, their batting average wasn’t the greatest. Only of those eight managed to make a single Pro Bowl, and only one other lasted longer than five years in the NFL as a starter. One of those bigger disappointments was Anthony Miller, who the Bears’ current scouting department drafted.
4. Want to know why Anthony Miller can't reach the next level?
Moments like this.
Has a good game up to that point. Eight grabs for 73 yards.
This should be a 7-yarder to set up 3rd and short. Instead, it's a drop.
Great WRs don't make routine plays look difficult. #Bears pic.twitter.com/AmTHjuXwqm
— Erik Lambert (@ErikLambert1) November 2, 2020
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Of course, there is a chance that luck is on their side this time.
The law of averages says the Chicago Bears have to get one right eventually. Still, track records are hard to ignore. This team has serious issues identifying quality receiving talent early in drafts. Maybe a new GM will change their fortunes. Poles was part of an organization in Kansas City that had consistent success finding good receivers. He has an offensive background himself. It isn’t hard to imagine.
Perhaps this is why he might prefer to focus on the trenches early. He’d instead take his chances finding weapons in the 3rd round or later. It might not be as flashy, but it is somewhat safer. With it being his first draft, Poles may not wish to swing at such a difficult position to pin down. That may not make Bears fans happy, but it would be easy to understand. Don’t forget Ryan Pace grabbed a wide receiver with his first-ever pick. That didn’t end well for the team.
Playing it safe at positions with higher floors might be the play for Chicago this year.
