Day 2 receivers the Chicago Bears can target in the 2022 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears 2022 NFL Draft Target: George Pickens, WR – Georgia

George Pickens out of Georgia should be at the top of the Bears’ draft board, as he was a great receiver at Georgia — both before and after his injury. Pickens tore his ACL in March of 2021, allowing him to only play four games this past college football season.

Due to his lack of games, his college stats don’t jump out at you in this deep class, but his intangibles are fantastic for a projected second or third-round pick. Standing at 6’3″ and 200 pounds,

Pickens is a good, but not great athlete, and still possesses said athleticism after his ACL surgery. He is a very physical receiver who is great at drawing pass interference penalties and going up and getting 50/50 balls. He is a fantastic blocker, giving great effort and has great technique. Blocking may be one of his best traits, as he will do well blocking both off the ball and physical cornerbacks.

He has average speed for an NFL receiver with a 4.47 40-yard dash, which is not bad for a receiver his size. His route running is okay, and his separation out of his breaks needs work as well. I’d love to see him be more explosive out of his breaks in his routes, as that would help him get that separation he is lacking at times.

If not for his injury history, I think Pickens would be a first-round pick in this draft. The injury history is concerning, but if the Chicago Bears can get Pickens at the back of the second or the top of the third, that would be great value at a position of need.