Chicago Bears find foundational pieces on offense in 2021 NFL Mock Draft

Chicago Bears Round 5, Pick No. 164

After selecting Rashod Bateman, I still wasn’t done rebuilding the wide receiver core as I selected a new slot wide receiver in Dazz Newsome out of North Carolina. Newsome is the forgotten-about-talent at North Carolina, but he still has great upside as a wide receiver at the next level.

Newsome instantly saw the field at North Carolina earning two starts as a freshman catching 18 passes for 227 yards. He then caught 44 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns as a sophomore and returned kicks and punts as well. Newsome broke out his junior year catching 72 passes for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns. His senior season wasn’t as productive, but still, solid production catching 54 passes for 684 yards and six touchdowns. He finished his career at North Carolina third in catches, fifth in yards, and seventh in receiving touchdowns.

Newsome projects as a slot wide receiver at the next level given his size and speed. He displays average speed, but he continues to find openings in zone and man coverage making himself a reliable target for his quarterback. He catches nearly every ball thrown his way and constantly gets yards after the catch fighting for extra yards.

The Bears need a replacement for Anthony Miller given their fallout and this allows the Bears to either trade or cut him. Miller struggled in Chicago getting the routes down and catching passes despite showing a lot of promise. Newsome additionally adds depth to kickoff returner as they lost Cordarrelle Patterson this offseason.