Chicago Bears: Predicting the final wide receivers depth chart

The Chicago Bears will keep six wide receivers this season

Just as the team did last year, I believe the Chicago Bears will keep six wide receivers on the active roster. With the first four wide receivers locked in, that leaves a few names to compete for the two final spots on this team’s depth chart.

Riley Ridley, Javon Wims and Thomas Ives are three names Chicago Bears fans are familiar with. However, the team also brought in Marquise Goodwin and drafted Dazz Newsome. Dazz Newsome is dealing with a broken collarbone but should be back during training camp. What does this mean for the final two spots on the roster as I do not foresee the team keeping seven wide receivers?

Dazz Newsome easily makes this team after being drafted in the sixth round

Even with Dazz Newsome’s recent injury, he is a favorite to make the final depth chart. I do not foresee him being stashed on the practice squad unless he struggles horribly in training camp and the preseason. As a sixth-round pick, normally his chances of landing on the practice squad would be high, but I think they like Newsome’s return abilities.

Newsome had a very productive career at North Carolina. In his freshman year, Newsome caught 18 balls for 227 yards. He saw his role increase his sophomore year by catching 44 balls for 506 yards and two touchdowns. Then, Newsome exploded in 2019 when he caught 72 balls for 1,018 yards and 10 touchdowns. He came back down to earth in 2020 though with only 54 catches, 684 yards and six touchdowns.

 Marquise Goodwin makes the Chicago Bears roster and could push for the fifth spot

I was between Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd for the fourth spot on the depth chart. I gave the nod to the younger player in Byrd, but Goodwin could easily take that spot over with a solid camp and preseason.

Goodwin proved in 2017 he can handle an increased role. He saw 105 targets for the 49ers that year. He caught only 56 of them though. Goodwin was always a deep threat and that’s why he gained 962 yards on those 56 catches. However, with a 50% catch rate throughout his career, this is why he will fall here to the bottom of the depth chart and could honestly be this year’s Ted Ginn, Jr. Ginn was the veteran last year who made the team, but did not last long. The Chicago Bears cut him in November.

The Chicago Bears have seen enough of Javon Wims and Riley Ridley and at least one of these two, if not both, will be gone this season. Injuries in the offseason could obviously change things, but the Bears would not have brought in two free agent wide receivers and drafted another had they felt comfortable at the position. I know they wanted to move on from Anthony Miller too, but with him sticking around, one or both of Wims/Ridley will be gone.

If I were running the team, Ridley would stay, get more opportunities to prove himself on game day, and Marquise Goodwin would be my odd man out.