Bears: 3 options to replace Allen Robinson if he leaves in free agency
2. Rashod Bateman
Bateman landed fully on the radar of NFL scouts in 2019, when he averaged over 20 yards a catch (60 for 1,219 yards) with 11 touchdowns for the Golden Gophers. The 2020 campaign was an opt-out, opt-in, opt-out back and forth as he finished with 36 catches for 472 yards in five games.
Bateman recently made a headline with a laser-timed 4.39 40-yard dash. At 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds, that stands out to go with what’s seen as an NFL-ready skillset.
Few wide receivers in this year's draft know how to just get open better than Minnesota's Rashod Bateman, who is also so physical and plays with an edge.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) March 3, 2021
He recently ran a laser-timed 4.39 40 at 6-2 and 210 pounds too. He's a big play waiting to happen. pic.twitter.com/VMfE2YJs5W
https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1366419245186355201?s=20
https://twitter.com/PFF_Fantasy/status/1366826400473309187?s=20
The Bears can go multiple directions with the 20th overall pick in April’s draft, and offensive line is an easy target area. But if Robinson is gone and free agency doesn’t yield someone impactful, replacing him with an instant impact player will be on the radar.
Bateman looks like that kind of guy, if he’s available at 20. A trade up to get him can’t be ruled out either.