It would probably annoy Chicago Bears fans, but the team very well could wait until pick 71 to address the wide receiver position. They have so many other needs, and if they see a tackle drop to 39, and another premium position at 48, they could think that adding two wideouts later in the draft is their best bet.
Beyond that, the run on wideouts could come and it could leave a void where wideouts do not go much between pick 50 and 70. A lot of players the team would debate at 48 could still be around after the first run on wideouts.
With that in mind, who are five wide receivers that are expected to be there around pick 71?
5. Khalil Shakir, Boise State
Mock Draft ADP: 103
NFL Comparison: Nelson Agholor
Khalil Shakir has been a leading wideout for Boise State over the past three seasons. He has been very productive and has been the go-to player in that offense. Typically, he has lined up in the slot.
What is nice about Shakir is that while he is your typical slot player, especially in his frame, he does have the ability to get open down the field. One of his best traits is his ball tracking.
On top of that, while he is not thick and does not shrug off tackles he does have great later agility and can wiggle and shake his way free. Still, like his NFL comparison Nelson Agholor the biggest component that will hold him back are drops.
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He does not have big hands, and with his frame, it is a combination of dropping some easy ones, and the physically contested ones as well. The role of a complementary player who typically runs from the slot and can stretch the field is likely the role for Shakir as well, just like Agholor.
He is a good stylistic fit with what the Bears will want to do with their quarterback.
4. John Metchie
Mock Draft ADP: 76
NFL Comparison: Ryan Grant
John Methcie has two things going against him at this point in the draft season. The first is that he is coming off an injury that did not allow him to work out for teams. The other comes off of that in that his athleticism does not look to be a defining trait on video.
He is not your typical Alabama receiver of recent years where big plays come consistently He was much more of the steady Eddie who helped move the sticks and keep things churning for the more athletic pass catchers.
Metchie is a bit under-sized coming in under 190 pounds and never showed breakaway speed on video. Still, what he showed is a strong ability to get off of the line of scrimmage with diverse releases. Metchie was able to create separation in short spaces.
Drops were an issue at times, as was his yards after the catch, but in round three if you know that you are drafting a consistent route runner who can move the chains on third and four it could be an addition to the room.
3. Is David Bell a risk for the Chicago Bears
Mock Draft ADP: 83
NFL Comparison: Mohammad Sanu
David Bell has been falling down mock draft boards since the NFL combine. It is easy to say that David Bell could be the next Jarvis Landry, or Anquan Boldin as players with nearly un draftable athleticism to make a strong impact on the NFL.
Still, for every Boldin and Landy who had the similar athletic talent to David Bell, there are dozens of Tandon Doss, Rashard Higgins, and KJ Hills type players as well. The list of players with his athletic traits is about 20 contributing players, five quality starters, and 150 misses and busts.
It is reasonable to be concerned with David Bell. It is also fair to say that he is one of the best wide receivers in the class on video and that if you had to bet on that once in a decade type of player being a Jarvis Landry, it would be David Bell.
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Still, Sanu is a fair medium between the bust and the best outcome. A slot wideout who has the size to create in short areas, and after the catch. Still, he is a chain mover and not an explosive play threat. Expecting more out of David Bell may be too much.
NFL Comparison: DJ Chark
Mock Draft ADP: 76
Alec Pierce is a player that we have mentioned multiple times. The Chicago Bears were at the Cincinnati Pro day, and specifically had their wide receiver coach in attendance. We also mocked Alec Pierce to the Chicago Bears in the third round, and overall, he may be the best fit for the team.
It is pretty obvious why the Chicago Bears would be interested in Pierce. Alec Pierce spent most of his time at Cincinnatti getting down the field on the sideline and hauling in deep balls.
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He showed great tracking, and with his tall frame showed an ability to go up and get it. Considering Justin Fields is one of the most consistent deep ball throwers already, it appears to be a pretty good fit.
A player like John Metchie can succeed in a lot of offenses, but he needs a timing quarterback like Mac Jones while Justin Fields wants to play with the more athletic players that he can give a chance to flip the field. That is why Alec Pierce is a much better fit.
1. Justyn Ross, Clemson
NFL Comparison: Tim Patrick
Justyn Ross is the biggest boom-bust of the group. You could arguably easily that Alec Pierce is the safer option, but if the Chicago Bears investigated the health of Ross, and thought that he was going to be good to go, he has the most upside of any of these wideouts.
Ross still has the legitimate chance to be a top X on the outside in the NFL. It is hard to find those in the third round, and nowadays the minimum price for those players is $20M per year. To get that this late on a rookie deal makes him worth the basement floor.
The floor is that he has missed most of 2020 with a spinal injury and parts of 2021 with a foot injury. Those are two serious issues it appears to have affected his play. In 2018, it was pretty much a consensus that he was better and younger than Tee Higgins.
In 2019, he was still trending well and the past two years have become a nightmare since. At times you saw the upside with Ross, but teams will draft him based on the hopes that 2018 and 2019 are still in there. That is a scarier bet than Pierce, but at his best, he is the most complete wideout of this group.