The Deadly Receiver Plenty See Falling into Bears' Laps

This NFL draft class has so many types of effective receivers and more and more projections find the Bears coming away with one of the best.

Malik Nabers is thought by many to be the best receiver in the draft but recent projections see him falling in the Bears' laps. / Matt Pendleton-USA TODAY Sports

The great thing about needing wide receiver help in this draft is the assortment and quantity of quality available.

Players of virtually every type capable of lining up outside and catching passes are available to the Bears should they decide one of the top three receivers can go elsewhere, while they focus first on upgrading their pass rush.

Well after Round 1 ends they could find everything from the freakish 6-foot-6 3/8 Johnny Wilson of Florida State, who ranks top 1% for receivers in combine history at height (6-foot-6 3/8), wingspan (84 1/2-inch) and arm length (35 3/8), to Western Kentucky's Malachi Corley, who is built more like a running back at 5-11, 215 but runs a 4.46 40.

What the Bears could use as a perfect complement to the group assembled, and someone who would be around for years to come, is blazing speed and an ability to go up for the football.

DJ Moore has the hands, speed, moves and route running. Keenan Allen can't be covered but ran a 4.6 40 when he was young and he's 32 now.

Malik Nabers is a blue chip prospect that the #Bears should run to the podium to if he by the grace of god falls to 9
https://t.co/zbEME1o8mJ https://t.co/0HXIMcZb0b pic.twitter.com/ZUyoUh03Ff

— As a Former NFL Agent (@TommyK_NFLDraft) April 4, 2024

Within the last week, three mock drafts have projected something strange and wonderful happening for the Bears offense at No. 9 in Round 1. If it did, they would find the most perfect fit for their missing element.

The most recent one is from Maurice Jones-Drew in his first mock draft this year for NFL Network. It was a concept explored earlier by Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus in a mock. Both arrived at this happening through different, unrealistic ways.

Sikkema saw Rome Odunze being the second receiver selected, ahead of Nabers. While Odunze is excellent as the same type of receiver, it's Nabers who has the raw speed and athleticism advantage in all ways.

MJD's mock drops Nabers to the Bears by putting quarterback Michael Penix in the top 10. Not only is he in the top 10, he's sixth. So that's five QBs in the top six.

This would be very wild and totally unrealistic, although Penix might be in that class if he hadn't suffered so many college injuries.

According to ESPN AM-1000's David Kaplan, the Bears love Nabers.

Shocker. Get in line bub.

No one in the draft would turn down a player like this. He's not falling. Nabers ran 4.35 at his pro day, had a 42-inch vertical and has excellent hands.

However, no less an authority than college football insider Bruce Feldman of The Athletic, he of the famed Feldman's Freaks List, has Nabers falling to the Bears with his mock draft released on Thursday.

This is a real field stretcher who can learn for a year while Keenan Allen is there, then become the No. 2 target or possibly No. 1.

MJD's draft puts Odunze all the way down at No. 13. If the Bears couldn't get Nabers nad Oduzne was falling back to 13, trading back a few spots would be in order because it would definitely be a worthwhile move.

The Bears already had Nabers for a top 30 for what that's worth. Matt Eberflus and Ryan Poles turned out at the LSU pro day and it wasn't a quarterback call. Nabers and wide receiver Brian Thomas Jr. commanded attention.

Nabers has a connection already of sorts with Caleb Williams.

A little more on the @ChicagoBears' 30 visit with USC (and future Bears) QB Caleb Williams on Tuesday night/Wednesday. And if you want more background on how Bears GM Ryan Poles supercharged the eval on Williams, that's all here: https://t.co/p2I6rQNdD4https://t.co/uqwWwiVAZf

— Albert Breer (@AlbertBreer) April 4, 2024

"I talk to Caleb all the time," he said at the combine. "He always talks about how I'm a great receiver. I'm just waiting for that day to be called."

He has one other nice Chicago fit.

"LeBron or MJ," he was asked.

"Jordan," he said.

Bears Top 30 Visits

• QB Caleb Williams, USC (ESPN)

• RB Dylan Laube, New Hampshire (Destin Adams, A to Z Sports)

• T Kiran Amegadije, Yale (source)

• WR Rome Odunze, Washington (Brady Henderson, ESPN Seattle Seahawks reporter)

• CB Elijah Jones, Boston College (Ryan Fowler, The Draft Network)

• CB Cam Hart, Notre Dame (Justin Melo, The Draft Network)

• C Zach Frazier, West Virginia (Fowler)

• DE Dallas Turner, Alabama (Tom Pelissero, NFL Network)

• CB Nehemiah Pritchett, CB, Auburn (Melo)

• TE Brock Bowers, Georgia (Tony Pauline, Sportskeeda)

• WR Jha'Quan Jackson, Tulane (Sky Kruse, BleavNetwork)

• TE Ben Sinnott, Kansas State (Aaron Leming, Bear Report)

• TE McCallan Castles, Tennessee (Leming)

• T Tyler Guyton, Oklahoma (Albert Breer, SI)

• DT Graham Barton, Duke (Fowler)

• RB Andru Phillips, Kentucky (Leming)

• S Kamren Kitchens, Miami (Breer)

• WR Malik Nabers, LSU (ESPN)

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven