Hello, Chicago Bears fans! As we move into our offseason coverage of the Bears, we will examine what the Bears need to do to build on the amazing 2025 season and move the team forward in the competition
for the Lombardi Trophy. I’m going to look at a somewhat unlikely scenario here. I think we were all shocked when the Bears took Luther Burden III in the Second Round of the 2025 NFL draft. Wide receiver seemed like one of the lowest priority positions on the Bears’ needs list. With the fact the Bears prioritize pass catchers in mind, and considering the scenario where the Bears may not resign Olamide Zaccheas, or may trade DJ Moore, or perhaps do both – well suddenly WR is a need in the upcoming draft. If that happens, who might they take? I’m going to assume that WR is not an option in the first round, given the Bears’ substantial needs on the defensive line and the possibility they may need to take an offensive tackle high in the 2026 draft, so I’m going to look at options from the 2nd round to the 7th round in the draft.
The wide receiver profile I’m looking for is a speed/slot receiver who could fit into the Jameson Williams role in the Ben Johnson offense. If that WR has return ability, so much the better. So with that determined, let’s look at the 2026 options:
2nd Round Options
The 2nd round options at speed receiver are not extensive, unfortunately, if this is the round the Bears are targeting a receiver. The best option in this round I believe is:
KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M. Concepcion is a 5.11 WR who, according to scouts, has twitch and burst that burst off the film. Scouts have credited him with significant acceleration in the 0-15 yard range, and that he has elite steps out of his break. Is good out of his cuts and does a good job of sinking his hips – if the Bears wanted to make a splash like they did with Burden last season, KC Conception is that player.
Other options? Alternative options at wide out in the 2nd round, given our profile, don’t exist unless we reach for a player – the other players on the scout lists are almost all X receivers and thus do not qualify as speed outs. It’s basically KC or bust in the 2nd round.
3rd Round Options
As noted previously, the options at speed receiver/slot receiver are limited in the 2026 draft. But if he drops to the Bears in the third round, the best choice would be:
Deion Burks, WR, Oklahoma. Burkes slots in at 5.9 with an expected 40 time of 4.43. He is considered by scouts to be a classic slot receiver and his separation ability has been recognized in scout evaluations of his collegiate performance. Burks has an elite athletic profile at the position and is a potential replacement for Zacharias and Duvernay as a slot receiver and a kick returner.
Other options? Again, the speed options in the early rounds at wide receiver are significantly limited. Speed options are more likely to feature in later rounds here. However, Zachariah Branch is a 5.10 wide receiver out of Georgia who has both slot receiver and return game options, who could sneak into the 3rd round.
4th – 7th Round Options
Erick Rivers, WR, Georgia Tech. Rivers is a 5.11 WR who could have immediate impact as a vertical weapon in the Ben Johnson offense. His expected 40 time is 4.38, so he is a true “take the top off of the defense” threat from multiple positions on the field. Rivers also could have value as a returner.
Kevin Coleman, Jr., WR, Missouri. Similar to Rivers, Coleman, Jr is a potential slot option in the Bears offense at 5.11 and with an expected 40 time at 4.44. Coleman had eight catches against the vaunted Georgia defense in the 2025 season.
Aaron Anderson, WR, LSU. Anderson is your classic Day 3 slot receiver/speed receiver option. If he is there for the Bears in the late rounds, the Bears should run to the podium. While he is a bit diminutive at 5.8, his expected 40 time is in the 4.3 range, and he has game-changing speed at the wide receiver and return positions.
Brenen Thompson, WR, Mississippi State. Similar to Anderson, Thompson is on the short side at 5.9, but his 40 time should be in the range of 4.3+. He is definitely a role player in an NFL offense, but Ben Johnson could utilize him both at WR and in the return game.
Late Round or UFDA
Barion Brown, WR, Florida. If we are talking about a pure speed prospect, it is Barion Brown. He is at 5.11 in height but only 176 lbs in weight, which raises durability concerns. On the other hand, his 40-yard dash could come in at sub 4.3. More significantly for the Bears, it is possible Brown is the most dynamic return specialist in the NFL draft. If the Bears could use a late round pick on Brown, they may have the best returner on the team since a guy named Devin Hester manned the position.
