GM Ryan Pace isn’t going to let anybody onto what his plans are for the upcoming NFL draft. Every move he’s made to this point says as much. The Chicago Bears have done everything in their power to plug holes in the roster. All while keeping their true intentions for the draft secret. Will they move up for a quarterback? Do they want an offensive tackle or a cornerback? Nobody can say for sure.
Or at least they can’t if they weren’t following the warning signs. While all of those positions mentioned above are possible, there is one that has yet to be addressed in any capacity this offseason. One that Bears insider Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune now firmly believes will be their focus come next month. That being a wide receiver.
“Before free agency started, I would have put the highest odds on the Bears selecting an offensive tackle with the 20th pick. This certainly remains a possibility, as it’s a good draft for the position and the Bears could have their choice of two or three options. It’s possible they could get the third tackle to come off the board, and there’s no question it’s a position of need. But now I tend to think there’s a greater chance they will look to add a wide receiver at No. 20.”
This makes sense when looking at the landscape of things.
Chicago retained Allen Robinson by way of the franchise tag. Yet that hasn’t provided any clarity on his future. The two sides remain far apart on a long-term extension. Darnell Mooney looks like a nice piece moving forward. After that? It’s a bunch of unknowns. Anthony Miller is on the trade block. Javon Wims did little last season with his opportunities. Riley Ridley still hasn’t managed to emerge as a viable option either.
Combine that with the Bears’ strong push to sign Kenny Golladay in free agency? It’s pretty clear they are aiming to boost their passing attack with more firepower. Not to mention adding some long-term stability to the position with the fate of Robinson in question beyond 2021. If this ends up being the case, who could they be targeting at #20 overall? Better yet, should they really be considering it at all?
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Chicago Bears have an ugly track record with highly-drafted WRs
To date, Pace has taken two receivers in the top three rounds of the draft. Kevin White was his first pick in 2015. That was a disaster as the West Virginia standout suffered from constant injury problems. Then came Miller via the 2nd round in 2018. As stated earlier, he’s on the trade block. Not exactly a legacy that inspires confidence.
Then again it’s not like this started with Pace. The Chicago Bears have drafted a receiver in the 1st round a total of five times in their history.
- 1983 – Willie Gault
- 1988 – Wendell Davis
- 1993 – Curtis Conway
- 2001 – David Terrell
- 2015 – Kevin White
Gault and Conway were decent players but didn’t live up to their draft status. Davis, Terrell, and White were outright busts. If that weren’t bad enough? The bottom half of the 1st round hasn’t been a hotbed of star receiving talent in recent years. Since 2014, a total of 16 players were drafted between #16 and #32. Only one (Justin Jefferson) made the Pro Bowl. CeeDee Lamb could join that group shortly but it says more than enough.
The Bears would be taking a considerable risk.
It would have to come down to who is available. If one of the top three of DeVonta Smith, Ja’Marr Chase, or Jaylen Waddle happen to fall? Then it would justify the move. Smith is a Heisman winner. Waddle is the fastest receiver in the draft with decent size too. Chase might be the most complete player at the position this year. The odds aren’t great for that to happen though.
So who then? Terrence Marshall of LSU and Rashod Bateman of Minnesota could be possibilities. Bother are bigger, imposing targets with underrated athleticism. Undersized but electric speedsters like Elijah Moore of Ole Miss and Kadarius Toney of Florida could be possibilities as well. Any of the four have the talent to excel in the NFL. Yet none stands out as a gotta-have-it kind of player. It’ll come down to what Pace and head coach Matt Nagy want.