5 wide receivers the Bears need for 2023 to not waste Justin Fields any longer
By Scott Rogust
5 wide receivers the Bears need for 2023 to not waste Justin Fields any longer, No. 4: Jordan Addison, USC Trojans
Now, we get to the NFL Draft. The Chicago Bears, in all likelihood, are going to be selecting in the top five of the first-round. While it’s entirely possible they could be at the top of the board, the Bears may find it worthwhile to explore trades down with teams looking to move up to select one of the top quarterbacks in Bryce Young, C.J. Stroud, and Will Levis. That would be the wise decision, especially if they are targeting some of the top wide receivers in the draft. Taking one over Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. and Georgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter would be criticized.
One of the top wide receivers in the 2023 draft class is USC’s Jordan Addison. The six-foot wide receiver began his collegiate career with the Pittsburgh Panthers, where he won the Fred Biletnikoff award in 2021 for best receiver in college. After that campaign, where he logged 100 receptions for 1,593 yards and 17 touchdowns, Addison entered the transfer portal and joined the Trojans football program.
This season with USC, Addison caught 59 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns in 11 games.
It would be wise for the Bears to at least explore bringing in one of the top pass-catchers in all of college football the past two years.
5 wide receivers the Bears need for 2023 to not waste Justin Fields any longer, No. 3: Quentin Johnston, TCU Horned Frogs
When it comes to who are the top two wide receivers in the 2023 draft class, it is Addison and Quentin Johnston of the TCU Horned Frogs.
Johnston stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs in at 215-pounds, and is the epitome of an explosive receiver. That was evident early on in TCU’s fantastic 2022 season, especially when he caught 14 passes for 206 yards and one touchdown in the team’s thrilling 38-31 win over the Kansas Jayhawks. He followed that up the following week with an eight-reception, 180-yards and one-touchdown showing in TCU’s 43-40 double-overtime win over the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
This season, Johnston recorded 53 passes for 903 yards and five touchdowns in 11 games.
The Bears should be watching Johnston compete in the Fiesta Bowl, as TCU takes on the Michigan Wolverines in the College Football Playoff semifinals.