Could Rachad Wildgoose replace Buster Skrine for Chicago Bears in 2021 NFL draft

Rachad Wildgoose was a high school prospect from the well-known Miami Northwestern High School and wound up in the Big 10 with the Wisconsin Badgers. Wildgoose stepped right on the field as a true freshman and wound up with 269 coverage snaps, with 141 coming in the slot, per PFF.

As a sophomore, he saw the majority of his snaps in the slot, but still remained a starter who moved inside and outside. Last year he only played two games due to the COVID issues among other things. He was unable to improve on his first two seasons, but unlike most true juniors did put a lot on tape as he enters the 2021 NFL draft.

What type of player is Rachad Wildgoose and would he fit the Chicago Bears?

Statistics

Tack Tack Tack Tack Def Def Fumb Year School Conf Class Pos G Solo Ast Tot Loss Int PD FR *2018 Wisconsin Big Ten FR CB 10 22 7 29 0.0 0 7 2 *2019 Wisconsin Big Ten SO CB 12 16 6 22 3.0 1 6 1 *2020 Wisconsin Big Ten JR CB 2 6 0 6 2.0 0 1 0 Career Wisconsin 44 13 57 5.0 1 14 3

Provided by CFB at Sports Reference: View Original Table
Generated 3/13/2021.

Areas where Rachad Wildgoose could excel in the NFL

When you hear the word twitchy, players like Rachad Wildgoose come to mind. He plays smooth, at certain points can make breaks and jumps on the football that spring at you and impress. Take a look at the play below against Iowa. He is working in the slot.

Rachad Wildgoose plays outside leverage and even steps a bit outside. Still, he ensures the route is heading to the inside and breaks with immediate range to swat the pass away.

Wildgoose does a great job of getting his hands in at the last minute, and playing passes at the catch point, to break them away.

His smooth feet and quick transitions make his jump the slot in the NFL virtually seamless, but It is worth noting he has the versatility to play both inside and outside. Wildgoose also plays with a physical presence. He is not afraid to get his hands on the wide receiver and has busted up screens and option plays due to his ability to track downhill.

Questions Rachad Wildgoose will have to answer in NFL

Wildgoose is a willing tackler, but often dives at ankles and can get caught missing. He needs to stay on his feet when tackling to handle run duties in the slot in the NFL. While his physicality at the catch point is respected, he can often dance on the line of good play and penalty. Wildgoose also comes close to giving up big plays in which he makes up ground at the last second. There is a bit of a boom or bust aspect to his style.

Lastly, Wildgoose played in a mostly zone-heavy scheme and did not follow receivers over the middle too often. His quick feet and speed should not make this a concern, but there is a lack of experience in multiple coverages.

NFL Comparison for Rachad Wildgoose

Rachad Wildgoose went through his Pro Day drills, and we were able to get his physical profile, as well as a look at his athletic profile.

Using similar physical attributes, I came up with a list of similar prospects who were at the combine and posted close numbers to what Rachad Wildgoose was.

Names such as Janoris Jenkins and Kareem Jackson come up as upside comps, and he does play a style similar to Jenkins. However, when looking at similar prospects, a comparable player in the NFL to Rachad Wildgoose would be Eric Murray.

Murray spent four seasons with the Kansas City Chiefs and was on the Texans last season as a starter. He has mainly spent his NFL time in the slot, but his versatility has moved him from safety to outside to the box and slot. Wildgoose moved around in a similar manner and has the same foot quickness to mirror and match wide receivers from the inside. Murray plays with a physical demeanor but can be boom or bust as well. Still, this is a starting slot player in the NFL for the past five years, and that is the type of player you should be getting with Rachad Wildgoose.

Does Rachad Wildgoose fit the Chicago Bears?

The question is less about whether he can upgrade from Buster Skrine, who was released, and more about whether he could be an upgrade from Kindle Vildor or Duke Shelley. The Bears drafted the two in the past two seasons but drafting Vildor after Shelley was a bit of a surprise. It showed that they are not satisfied with their depth and that they wanted to add more corners to the room.

With Buster Skrine leaving, they will once again want to add depth to the cornerback room. Drafting a corner late every year is not a bad idea to let the cream the top. The question with Wildgoose is how high he will go.

As a prospect, he may be slightly better than Vildor, who went in the 5th round. PFF gave him a third-round projection, which sounds about right. It would make sense for the Bears to add a slot corner with one of their sixth-round picks. If Wildgoose fell to the fifth round, he may be high enough on their board that they do not pass him up. However, he may be going a bit higher than when they want to address the position.