The winding road that is the NFL Draft ended for the Chicago Bears on Saturday afternoon, with the team taking a player at what has long been believed to be a major position of need:
With the #224 pick in the 2018 #NFLDraft, we select… Javon Wims, WR, Georgia.
Welcome to Chicago, @Javon_Juice! 🐻⬇️ #BearsDraft pic.twitter.com/ueaVO9X5hD
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 28, 2018
So a process that began with the Bears drafting a University of Georgia product ends the same way. How’s that for symmetry?
Wims is a big-bodied receiver who checks in at 6-3 and 215 pounds who could slide in as the go-up-and-get-it (GUAGI!) guy that becomes a red zone threat. A late bloomer who was a high school basketball standout before getting into football, Wims uses his size and frame to make big plays in the passing game. With some coaching and proper development, he could conceivably do that in the pros, too.
Wims grew into a top-5 JUCO receiver prospect during a two-year stint at Hinds Community College and signed with Georgia in 2016. He was an immediate contributor for the Bulldogs and had his best year as a senior in 2017, when he led the team in catches (45), receiving yards (720), and touchdowns (seven). Wims really stood out during the college football playoffs semifinal game against Oklahoma, as he caught six passes for 73 yards, and a touchdown.
The Bears’ reworked wide receivers room now features two draft picks (Wims and Anthony Miller) and two free agents (Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel). It’s been quite an overhaul, but credit GM Ryan Pace for inserting some fresh faces for Mitch Trubisky to target.
Unless the Bears make any trades to move back into the 2018 NFL Draft, this is what their class looks like:
After using free agency to prioritize changes on the offensive side of the ball, four of the Bears’ first six picks were used with the idea of upgrading the defense. Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio’s fingerprints are all over this crop of picks. I’ll be curious to see how each of these players fits in the scheme.
Onward, to priority undrafted free agents!