Chicago Bears Bring in Six WRs for Tryout
Isaac Blakeney – I was surprised when Blakeney wasn’t drafted this year based on his size (6’6) and speed (4.62). He was a late bloomer in college who struggled for most of his career at Duke before coming on strong in the 2nd half of the season and playing well at the Medal of Honor Bowl (5 catches, 103 yards). Blakeney has ideal physical traits for an NFL receiver, but is a raw route runner who doesn’t look natural catching the ball.
The Niners signed Blakeney as an undrafted free agent this year, but he failed to make the final 53-man roster and also spent some time on the Redskins practice squad. Blakeney is a development prospect but has the physical attributes to play in the league.
Miles Gooch – I don’t know much about Gooch as he wasn’t even on my scouting radar last season, but he has the best name of this group at least! Like the players above him on this list, Gooch has good size (6’3 | 212) and decent speed for a big receiver (4.64). Gooch played in a run-heavy offense at Virginia, so only had 24 catches for 371 yards and 1 TD last season.
Jeremy Kelley – Another massive target (6’6 | 235) who has bounced around the NFL, CFL, and AFL since 2011. Kelley got his first NFL chance with the Colts on a futures contract back in 2013, then signed another futures deal with the Broncos in 2014. The current coaching staff is familiar with Kelley from his time in Denver and the Bears even signed him back in August to the practice squad for a couple of weeks before releasing him. With his size and a reported 4.5 40-time, Kelley seems to have the potential to make an impact as a hybrid TE or at least as a red zone weapon.
David Manning-USA TODAY Sports
JJ Worton – One of three WRs in the draft last year from UCF who had NFL potential. Raven’s 1st round pick Breshad Perriman was the big name, Rannell Hall caught on the with Bucs, but Worton tore his ACL late in the 2014 season and despite scoring 21 TDs during his college career hasn’t caught on with an NFL squad.
He has decent size (6’1 | 210), but is more of a slot receiver. Worton displayed excellent hands in college, was productive as a punt returner, and showed the ability and concentration to make tough catches over the middle. He was projected as a 4th-5th round pick before his ACL injury and Worten could have a shot to make the Bears in 2016 if he has regained his pre-injury explosiveness.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=12&v=uV-f-x1PIi4
Kyle Prater – This name should ring a bell for locals as Prater starred at Proviso West High School and then at Northwestern. The former 5-star recruit never really produced as expected due to injuries, drops, and inconsistent QB play. Prater still has excellent size (6’5 | 231), but a 4.75 40-time at his pro day knocked him off a lot of draft boards. He may not have the speed to play on the outside, but Prater could theoretically play a Zach Miller like hybrid-TE role for the Bears in 2016.