The Chicago Bears couldn’t be better positioned in this year’s NFL Draft.
General manager Ryan Poles and the Bears have already created a soft landing for presumptive No. 1 overall pick, USC quarterback Caleb Williams, by acquiring D.J. Moore in a trade last spring and trading for future Hall of Famer Keenan Allen.
However, thanks to owning both the No. 1 overall selection and the ninth pick in this year’s draft, Poles and the Chicago Bears have the opportunity to round out what could potentially become one of the most explosive offenses in the NFL.
Chicago Bears Land Caleb Williams AND Malik Nabers in NFL Draft?
Williams is viewed as a generational quarterback prospect, and Malik Nabers is in the discussion as the No. 2 receiver in this year’s class, behind only Ohio State standout Marvin Harrison Jr.
There might not be a better scenario to accelerate Williams’ development than to add Nabers alongside Moore and Allen.
That’s exactly what plays out in CBS Sports’ latest NFL Mock Draft, with Poles and the Bears rounding back and selecting Nabers after picking Williams first.
“Given the picks they’ve traded away this offseason,” Tom Fornelli writes for CBS Sports. “I felt the Bears were obvious trade-down candidates to add more picks. However, recent comments from GM Ryan Poles have caused me to reconsider. Reading between the lines, I don’t think the Bears love this class at their positions of need, so they add Malik Nabers to a WR corps that already includes D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. What more could Caleb Williams ask for?”
In addition to a prolific and explosive receiving corps that can stretch the field, the Bears also signed running back D’Andre Swift this offseason. This scenario would give Williams all the weapons needed to lift Chicago from the doldrums to an instant contender in the NFC North.
Malik Nabers Scouting Report
Nabers would fit right in as the final piece of an explosive receiver trio for the Bears.
Through his three collegiate seasons, Nabers caught 189 passes for 3,003 yards and 21 touchdowns, while averaging 15.9 yards per reception, underscoring his ability to take it to the house whenever the ball is in his hands.
“Despite a lack of polish and precision as a route-runner,” NFL Media’s Lance Zierlein writes of the LSU standout he compares to Justin Jefferson. “Nabers’ gliding movements and speed alterations seem to disguise the top-end speed and separation potential that await opposing coverages. He’s a bouncy leaper with the athletic ability to make the impossible catches possible. He tucks away accurate throws and displays the toughness and play strength to fight for tight-window victories over the middle.”
As Pro Football Focus points out, Nabers was second in the nation in deep catches, with 19, forced an elite 30 missed tackles, and garnered a 92.9 overall grade from the outlet.
Nabers’ versatility adds value, as well, given that he has extensive experience lining up from the slot, as well as on the perimeter, which would give head coach Matt Eberflus all kinds of optionality when it comes to deploying Chicago’s receivers and attacking defenses in myriad ways.
Pairing Williams with Nabers, if the Bears can pull this off, could go down with one of the more prolific and explosive offensive foundations built in recent memory.
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