The Chicago Bears have had an interesting offseason thus far, to say the least. After coming in hoping to find an upgrade at quarterback, the franchise decided to sign veteran Andy Dalton to be their new starter. Now, they are looking to upgrade the offense around him in the 2021 NFL Draft.
Allen Robinson was franchise tagged, which was a majority priority for the Bears. They simply need to figure out a long-term deal with him next. Adding another wide receiver alongside him would be ideal as well.
One NFL scout spoke to NFL Analysis Network about the Bears’ plans in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft. He mentioned a very intriguing offensive weapon that Chicago would love to bring in if they can.
“The Bears are going to target a wide receiver early in the NFL Draft. Rashod Bateman is a name they really like and if he’s there at pick No. 20, I think they’ll take him. He would be a perfect No. 2 wideout behind Allen Robinson.”
Bateman is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the NFL Draft class. He has the potential to be very special at the NFL level.
NFL.com has compared him to Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Michael Gallup. That comparison is spot on and very intriguing. If he lives up to that comparison, the Bears would be getting exactly what they need offensively.
A scout for an AFC team also weighed in with his thoughts on Rashod Bateman. The scout had some words of caution.
“The production looks good on paper, but I was at a couple of his games in 2019 and I just wanted to feel (his presence) more.”
Speaking of production, Bateman ended the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season with 36 receptions for 472 yards and two touchdowns. Back in 2019, however, he racked up 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns.
Nothing can be taken too seriously from the 2020 college football season. It was a strange year and many teams missed game. The Minnesota Golden Gophers were one of the teams that repeatedly were forced to miss games due to the pandemic.
Expect to see the Bears target a wide receiver early in the 2021 NFL Draft. Bateman may have some skeptics, but he would be a quality first-round pick for Chicago.
