The Chicago Bears now understand what their goals are moving forward. As Justin Fields continues to play better and better each week, it is becoming evident they may finally have a franchise quarterback on their hands. So the objective is obvious. Expend whatever resources necessary to build around him. That means better protection and better weapons. Both of which the Bears don’t have enough of.
Allen Robinson, Marquise Goodwin, and Damiere Byrd will all be free agents in 2022. So the team may have to look at wide receiver as a prime need going into the NFL draft. They could be fortunate in that regard as most experts believe it should be a deep class. Even more so than recent ones. So it shouldn’t be a huge surprise that one of the Bears’ top executives was spotted attending a notable game featuring several prominent names.
Familiar ones for college fans.
A source informed SM that Assistant Director of Player Personnel Champ Kelly was in attendance for the matchup between Ohio State and Purdue. While not one of the bigger rivalry games in the Big Ten, it certainly didn’t lack for offensive firepower. The Buckeyes scored 59 points on the afternoon while the Boilermakers managed 31. Both quarterbacks threw for over 360 yards. One for four touchdowns and the other for five.
So yeah, safe to say the receivers showed up. The biggest names Kelly was watching were Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson for Ohio State. Fields’ favorite targets when he played there last year. Both continue to rank among the best in college football. Olave had 85 yards and a touchdown while Wilson had 126 yards and three touchdowns. Just an absolute clinic.
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Purdue wasn’t about to be outdone though. They have a superstar of their own in the form of David Bell. His 103 yards in this game was enough to put him over 1,000 for the season. It marked the second time in two weeks he topped 100 yards against a top 5-ranked opponent.
Chicago Bears will no doubt like Kelly’s report
Most experts believe that both Olave and Wilson will likely be 1st round picks next April. Bell on the other hand? There is a possibility he could be there in the 2nd. With no 1st round due to their trade to land Fields, the Bears are hoping somebody of top quality might fall to them on Day 2. If one of those studs happens to? It would be a tremendous stroke of luck. That said, Kelly wasn’t just there for the receivers.
The performance by both quarterbacks gave a strong indication that the offensive line played well too. Purdue has standouts like guard Tyler Witt and tackle Greg Long. Ohio State had their two tackles of Nicholas Petit-Frere and Thayer Munford. Keep all of those names in mind. There is a chance one or two of them will end up high on the Chicago Bears’ draft board come the spring.
Will Kelly be involved in those picks?
That is a fair question. The future of this regime remains in limbo as the Bears sit at 3-6 with eight games left to play. A losing season could see ownership clean house. At that point, all the scouting work they’ve done may prove useless.
