Chicago Bears NFL Draft: Potential 5th Round steals
By Ryan Heckman
3. Wide Receiver Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
A lot of the elite speed is going to be found in the earlier stages of the draft, but that doesn’t mean the Bears should ignore the mid-round guys. A perfect example of somebody who could blossom into an outside receiver is Isaiah Hodgins out of Oregon State.
At first glance, you look at his long frame and, at 6-foot-4, you like what he is capable of doing. He is a smart football player who positions himself well to catch the football, although he could afford to put on some more muscle.
Hodgins isn’t going to win in a foot race against the fastest corners, but he is intelligent enough to know how to track the football in the air as well as getting in front of it on shorter routes. He is as sure-handed as they come which, above all else, is the most likable trait about him.
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The Bears quarterbacks could use a guy like Hodgins who, similar to Allen Robinson, simply catches the football. That’s what he does. Over every other category in question, the least you can say about Hodgins is that he rarely drops a pass.
Last season with the Beavers, Hodgins caught 86 passes for 1,171 yards and 13 touchdowns as their no. 1 target in the passing game.