Bears Draft Profile: WR Tyler Scott
Come Monday morning, each NFL team will claim one late-round pick was “the steal of the draft.” For the Bears, that player is wide receiver Tyler Scott of Cincinnati. Scott joins a wide receiver room that is oozing with talent and includes D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool, Equanimeous St. Brown, Velus Jones, and Dante Pettis. What a difference one year makes.
The Bears chose Scott in the fourth round at pick No. 133. He was Chicago’s second offensive selection of the afternoon, following RB Roschon Johnson, who was chosen at No. 115. Scott carried a late second/early third-round grade and excels at catching the deep ball. That makes for an intriguing pairing with Justin Fields.
Here’s Scott’s pre-draft scouting report from The Draft Network.
“Scott is an explosive athlete with elite speed that enables him to win vertically by pulling away from defenders. He maximizes his ability to get open down the field with good route pace and smooth cuts to force false steps from defenders; this enables him to get behind the defense. Scott’s ability to threaten vertically opens up opportunities for him in the short-to-intermediate areas of the field because opponents have so much respect for his speed. He has proven himself as an outside receiver with very few opportunities to execute from the slot. Scott makes excellent ball adjustments to make the most of his ability down the field.”
Here’s what ESPN said about Scott:
- Scott is one of the most talented receivers in this class. He tracks the deep ball well and has the second gear to take the top off the coverage. He is an instinctive open-field runner who is smooth turning upfield and pulls away from pursuit after the catch. Scott has a high ceiling as a route runner.
- His success on deep routes (seven touchdowns on post routes since the start of 2021 are tied for most in the FBS) gives Fields an exciting vertical threat.
- NFL Comp: T.Y. Hilton
#Bears WR Tyler Scott 💨💨💨 pic.twitter.com/W6ZNreJR6T
— Zack Pearson (@Zack_Pearson) April 29, 2023
Scott possesses electric top-end speed and decent hands. He had a high number of missed targets at Cincinnati but the quarterbacks are partially to blame. He has great run-after-the-catch ability and reaches his second gear very quickly. He’s going to be great with Fields because 10 of his 14 career touchdown passes were 30 yards or longer. Scott might also see some work as a punt returner.
Overall, Scott has the makings of an outstanding No. 2 receiver. His ability to succeed at all levels of the field, create after the catch, and impact the spacing of the offense with his vertical ability will be major assets. Scott simply flies and should add a thrilling element to Chicago’s offense.
