Could the Chicago Bears surprise many of us by taking a pass catcher in the third round
As the days to the draft have gotten closer the anticipation of which running back the Chicago Bears may add has turned into a bit of anxiety about which backs will even be around by pick 87. Many of the top backs will be gone, and the best options from there may be found in round four and five.
The team could draft defense at 87, but is bringing back a lot of their unit from last season, and did a good job replacing the pieces lost. With a need to get the offense on a championship level the Chicago Bears could go outside of the expected by adding a pass catcher.
The team has left the breadcrumbs to the trail as well. They have brought in a variety of tight ends and wide receivers, all expected to go near the back end of the top 100. Matt Nagy loves diversity and mixing up personnel, would it be too crazy to see them add another tight end or receiver to give them even more options?
With that in mind, meet the five pass catchers the team has met with that could be drafted in round three.
5. Riley Ridley
Riley Ridley is a volatile prospect, so it would make sense that the Bears would be doing their homework on him. Ridley is a prized prospect who is the brother of Calvin Ridley and went to Georgia. However, he failed to eclipse 600 yards.
He also went to the combine and tested poorly despite good size.
So on one hand we have lineage in the NFL, pedigree, and strong route running that has many thinking he will translate. On the other side is a player who could not succeed in the SEC, and it may tie into his athletic limitations.
Ridley may fall to the third round because of these questions, but the Bears may bet on what they saw in their private workout to get the most out of a wide receiver. Adding him to a room with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller and Taylor Gabriel means he does not need to get on the field right away, and it gives him a group of competent route runners to maximize his size with.