Ryan Poles said the words from the start. He intends to build the Chicago Bears through the draft. Now fans are acting all upset that he told the truth. Thus far, his moves in free agency have been mostly minor. Or “selective,” as he put it. Nowhere is that clearer than at wide receiver, where their only additions are Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle. They are decent young talents but hardly #1 or #2 options. This leads one to believe Poles plans to go hunting for help in the draft. He may have a name in mind already in Khalil Shakir.
When a team meets with a player once in the span of a month, it doesn’t mean much. It is a fact-finding deal. When they meet with him twice, it becomes a genuine interest. According to Zack Pearson of Bear Report, Chicago held meetings with the Boise State wide receiver at the Senior Bowl and scouting combine. While it doesn’t guarantee he lands with them, it does indicate they like him a lot.
The #Bears have met with Boise State WR Khalil Shakir at the Senior Bowl and at the Scouting Combine, per source.
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) March 17, 2022
That isn’t a surprise.
Several draft experts and scouts around the league love Shakir. Not just for his play on the field too. The Broncos star is also said to be an elite teammate and person off the field as well. This quote via an AFC scout from NFL.com says it all.
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“Better person than player and he is a hell of a player. You have to make your focus all the things he does well because he’s going to keep doing them as a pro.”
The production has remained consistent over the past three years. In 33 games between 2019 and 2021, Shakir amassed 2,708 receiving yards and 19 touchdowns. He also added 344 yards rushing with three more touchdowns. That helped showcase his impressive versatility. Shakir has decent size (6’0) and adequate speed (4.43 in the 40). What seems to separate him is the motor with which he plays.
The accelerator is on the floor from the moment the ball is snapped. Every route is run with maximum effort, and he is difficult to bring down after the catch. He also boasts a pair of strong hands, making ridiculous catches look routine.
Khalil Shakir is the definition of ELECTRIC ⚡️
His 86.7 PFF Grade is 2nd among Mountain West WRs 🐴pic.twitter.com/ztBu0kshoh
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) December 12, 2021
So this is basically a Khalil Shakir stan account now 🌀#CFBpic.twitter.com/ne5AgRta0E
— PFF Draft (@PFF_College) September 11, 2021
Here’s a look at just how good @BroncoSportsFB WR Khalil Shakir has been off the line at @seniorbowl. He is consistently winning with that short area speed to gain separation quickly pic.twitter.com/zoe03hJq1F
— Trevor Sikkema (@TampaBayTre) February 3, 2022
Khalil Shakir looks like he’ll be a good player
Maybe not a superstar, but guys like him always tend to have productive careers at the NFL level. The common comparison for him is Antwaan Randle-El. The former Pittsburgh Steelers 2nd round pick was never the star of the show but he always seemed to deliver a big play in big moments. He was a good receiver who doubled as a good return man. There is no way Pittsburgh wins the Super Bowl in 2005 without him.
Khalil Shakir can become that same kind of player for Chicago. Somebody that always seems to deliver two or three meaningful plays every week. He’d be a superb addition to the locker room and likely someone that will end up a team captain within his first three seasons. Anything beyond that would be gravy. The Bears should have an excellent chance to land him on Day 2 of the draft.
Projections have him going anywhere between the 2nd and 4th rounds.
The Bears have three picks in that range, so they’ll have an opportunity to grab him if the interest is as high as it seems. It won’t be a shock if they double up on wide receivers in this draft. The class is deep, and their needs remain significant.
