The Chicago Bears have a lot of receivers on the roster, one should stick out.
There will be a lot of competition at the wide receivers position with the Chicago Bears adding in speed threat Ted Ginn Jr, Darnell Mooney, Trevor Davis, and more. Ridley should have an advantage that those players don’t have with being in the system for a year.
Javon Wims has had his chance to show what he can do. I do like Wims, but Wims lacks the same athleticism that Ridley does and lacks the route-running ability Ridley has. Wims was targeted on back to back plays in the end zone, where he got his hands on both passes but failed to bring it in for a touchdown. Only to see Allen Robinson later run that same play and score from him in his place.
Receivers need to separate themselves in one way or another. If there is something that Riley Ridley does, it is that. Anthony Miller does that same thing at a slightly faster pace. Matt Nagy praised Taylor Gabriel as being his all-around receiver. Gabriel sure did try to play that role, but he was just a bit too small to stay healthy to do it.
Ridley, in 2018 with the Georgia Bulldogs, had a 75.5 overall PFF grade. His 76.3 receiving grad was impressive but not as remarkable as his 71.2 run-blocking grade. Imagine having Kevin White on the field as a blocker, with a dedicated precise route-runner. Ridley had a 133.3 passer rating when he was targeted.
Route-running isn’t the only thing Ridley was known for coming out of college. He ranked fourth in all receivers in 2018 in contested catching percentage. Terrell Owens also helped Ridley before the draft to better perfect his ability to complete contested catching. Just as Allen Robinson, when he is not open, he is open.
Riley Ridley might sound a bit too good to be true, but Ridley is pretty dang good. He just needs to be given the shot from coach Nagy to show what he can do. With this kid on the field, the Chicago Bears can run the ball towards him or pass to him in clutch moments to get first downs. Ridley really should start next to Anthony Miller and Allen Robinson.