Chicago Bears Senior Bowl Scouting: WR Trey Palmer

The Chicago Bears will have Luke Getsy coaching the Senior Bowl, so they should have a better ability to meet and greet with the prospects at the event than anyone. One name that the team will have an eye on is Trey Palmer.

Chicago fans may know Trey Palmer if they follow the Big 10. Palmer transferred to Nebraska last season and quickly became one of the most explosive receivers in the school’s history. Still, he did start at LSU and was not as productive to start his career.

He did about twice as much production in one season at Nebraska as he did in three seasons with LSU. What does he bring to the table that could help the Chicago Bears?

Should Chicago Bears have an interest in Trey Palmer?

It was shown by his 14.7 yards per catch average, but that is what Palmer is. He is a big play threat, and if he is making a catch, it probably will be a 15-yard pass for an explosive play.

Palmer knows how to get downfield and track the football. He has a good understanding of when to turn on his speed, and stack cornerbacks, and does a great job tracking the football in the air. Beyond that, he can be a threat with the ball in his hands, on jet sweeps and quick screens. He did return punts and kicks during his career as well.

It is obviously a concern that he could hardly got onto the field as LSU. That is a tougher depth chart to crack than Nebraska at wide receiver, so there may be a case of him being good in college, but not good enough to stand out in a room of NFL wideouts.

Beyond that, we do not have a full body of work, so his route tree, hand placement, and other small details of the game still come into question. He could improve at stretching his hands to go and get the ball, and not let it come to him. The question is whether he can improve the small details and be more well-rounded, or if he is just a one-trick pony who could not stand out at LSU.

Should Chicago Bears have an interest in Trey Palmer?

The Chicago Bears need a wideout, and they need a big play threat. Palmer works in both areas. In a way, you could say that he has traits similar to Velus Jones. Jones is a bit thicker and did more damage in the return game, but Palmer is a better deep-ball receiver. 

Still, if they draft Palmer, the usage during his rookie season will be similar. When he is on the field, they are often scheming things up for him, and most of what he will run are screens and deep balls. He may haul in the deep ball, which Jones struggled with as a rookie. If that is the difference, and Palmer is an upgrade, it is worth investing in.

Still, Palmer looks like a mid-round pick, and looking at him in round two may be too high, unless he shows speed in the 4.3 range.