NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears wrapped up NFL Draft weekend by making 10 picks. No, they didn’t fill every vacancy, but second-year GM Ryan Poles added potential starters and intriguing depth options to the mix. We’ll meet the Bears’ 10 draft picks, get to know a bit about their past, and where they project to go moving forward.
TYLER SCOTT (ROUND 4, PICK 133)
• Position: Wide receiver
• College: Cincinnati
• Height, weight, hand size, arm length: 5-10, 177 pounds, 9″ hands, 30 7/8″ arms
Trading for DJ Moore made receiver less of a need on NFL Draft weekend than what we were originally anticipating. HOWEVER, with Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool one year away from free agency, it was wise to add a receiver via the draft.
HIGHLIGHTS
STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES
STRENGTHS
This year’s draft class includes a discus thrower and a sprinter. The Bears definitely love athletes.
I hadn’t really thought of Scott as a return option, but that would be one way to start carving out a niche. Velus Jones Jr. better watch his back.
Justin Fields is probably smiling reading and re-reading that line.
WEAKNESSES
Sounds like a job for WRs Coach Tyke Tolbert and the rest of the Bears’ offensive staff.
Again, something that can be worked on and improved upon with quality coaching at the NFL level.
I’m sharing this weakness now to safeguard ourselves when the inevitable happens. Fields will throw an INT, we’ll wonder who’s to blame, and this rookie mistake is bound to pop up. It happens with every rookie receiver. Sometimes, you just have to learn to live with growing pains. So brace yourselves.
Lance Zierlein’s NFL Comparison: T.Y. Hilton
Seeing a comparison to a four-time Pro Bowler who has five 1,000-yard receiving seasons under his belt is an eye-opener. But it isn’t all too surprising. Keep in mind that Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus and his defensive staff got a first-hand look at Hilton during their time with the Colts. While in Indy, Eberflus got to witness the last of Hilton’s 1,000-yard receiving campaigns. Perhaps he sees Scott as a player with a similar build and speed. I’d be curious to hear a defensive coach’s perspective on the Bears’ newest receiver.
RELATIVE ATHLETIC SCORE
Relative Athletic Score grades player measurements on a 0-10 scale and compares them to their contemporaries. It is a unique way to give some of these prospects some more depth and perspective.
WHERE HE FITS
Could begin the year as WR4 … and end it being in a position to take a role occupied by Darnell Mooney or Chase Claypool.
On the one hand, I don’t want to fall into the trap I did last year getting juiced up over a mid-round receiver prospect. But on the other hand, I have no issue geeking out over someone with blazing speed and fun college tape who can immediately contribute. And in a variety of ways, too. Scott’s prospect profile suggests that he has potential as a return specialist and has a background as a high school running back. Maybe we’ll see Scott battle for a return gig that currently has a 2022 mid-round pick at the top of the depth chart. And perhaps OC Luke Getsy can deploy Scott as someone who can take some screens and jet sweeps. There is so much potential for fun here.
Drafting Scott gives the Bears their most interesting collection of receivers in my time following the team. And I’m not saying following the team just as BN Bears. I’m talking about my time as a fan that dates back to my childhood. Seriously, make a quartet with a higher floor or more upside than Moore, Mooney, Claypool, and Scott. Think about how far this position group has come in a year. The guys who were WR3 (Equanimeous St. Brown) and WR4 (Dante Pettis) are now essentially set to battle with Velus Jones Jr. for the WR5 role. Change can be a good thing. And that Bears receivers room is changing.
