When the Chicago Bears signed Dante Pettis it did signal that the team may not draft a wide receiver in the 2023 NFL Draft. While fans do not love Pettis, he is going from a guy who was the second or third option and now the hope is that he is the sixth guy.
If the Chicago Bears have D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Velus Jones, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Dante Pettis, they would need to replace one of them to make the move. The reality is that ESB makes the team because of special teams' value on all phases, while Velus Jones is a kick return option and Dante Pettis is a punt return option.
If they are going to add a wide receiver, he probably needs to have return game value, or else he will struggle to consistently fit on the roster.
Chicago Bears need a receiver who can return punts
Parker Washington, Demario Douglas, Derius Davis, Charlie Jones, Jayden Reed, Marvin Mims, Josh Downs, Tank Dell, and Grant DuBose are the best punt returners in this draft.
On the flip side, Malik Knowles, Derius Davis, Demario Douglas, Tre Tucker, Jacob Copeland, and Charlie Jones are the most experience kick return options.
Derius Davis, Demario Douglas, and Charlie Jones may be the best overall fits, and maybe guys who could put both Pettis and Velus Jones on the roster fringe.
The issue with Davis and Douglas is that in most cases they will be used as return specialists who do not bring much as receivers. Charlie Jones could be a great fit however. He can play inside and outside and runs crisp routes. He can get open underneath, which helps because Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney are downfield players.
If the team is looking for someone to be more of a wideout, they could go with Jones, but also Reed, Mims, Downs, and DuBose are also options. Jayden Reed would be great because he can play all three spots, and runs a varying route tree. Mims would be a great fit and could easily be a long-term Darnell Mooney replacement.
Josh Downs is more of a primary slot, and Grant DuBose is an outside receiver who has some upside as a sleeper. Either way, if the team does add a name, these are the names to look at. They can return punts, and they can push Dante Pettis off of the roster.