Would you rather the Chicago Bears draft which of these wide receivers?
Would you rather the Chicago Bears draft Christian Watson at No. 39
When we compare Christian Watson to George Pickens, both come with risks. The floor of Pickens is likely higher than Watson’s. Pickens comes from a school within the SEC and played against top talent, while Christian Watson played within the Missouri Valley Conference. Although North Dakota State has proven to develop NFL talent, it would be foolish to not lower Watson’s value based on the level of talent he faced in his collegiate career.
Watson is a name shooting up NFL Draft boards. He is currently my WR7 in my rankings (slightly higher than George Pickens by the way – WR10). This is partly because of my fear that Pickens will never be what he once was, but if you don’t fear the ACL injury, then these two players should be neck and neck in most rankings.
I have actually wound up with both of these receivers by double-dipping at the position in mock drafts at both No. 39 and No. 48. However, I fear that after Christian Watson’s performance at the Senior Bowl and the 2022 NFL Combine, he is likely to not last long enough to reach that 48th-overall pick. This is why we must make a choice here.
Christian Watson is also likely to succeed best as an “X” receiver. He is a tall, lengthy receiver and unlike George Pickens, Watson comes with great speed. He ran a 4.36 at the combine, compared to Pickens who ran a 4.47. He also should pair well with Darnell Mooney and Byron Pringle. He would do well with Justin Fields too, who loves to throw the deep ball.
Watson has shown issues with drops in the past — specifically concentration drops. If the Chicago Bears were to draft him, we’d have to deal with those drops. The upside is worth it though as he has improved in this matter and I have no doubt that Darnell Mooney will be able to help show him how to overcome this downfall. Mooney works hard to improve his game and continues to do so over his first two seasons. I expect the same of his third season too.
Conclusion:
In all honesty, the Chicago Bears would be lucky to have either of these two. However, since this is a game that we must play and an outcome must be made, my vote on who I would rather see in a Chicago Bears uniform after the 39th-overall pick is announced is Christian Watson.
Both Watson and Pickens come with great value. Pickens is more refined and a better route runner, but Watson comes with more upside. The Chicago Bears need a wide receiver who can hit a home run on any play and Watson brings that. He also proved to be a better route runner at the Senior Bowl than he was able to showcase at North Dakota State. Not to mention there aren’t any health concerns.
Who would you rather see drafted by the Chicago Bears at pick No. 39 — George Pickens or Christian Watson?