Chicago Bears: 8 can’t-miss 2021 prospects to start tanking for

8. WR Jaylen Waddle, Alabama

I’ll say it again: Wide receivers from Alabama are worth drafting — every single time. If Waddle is the best player on the board when the Bears are picking, there is no question he’s the pick. Even though he was lost early on this year to injury, Waddle will still be a top-15 pick in next year’s draft.

Prior to his injury this year, Waddle projected to be a clear-cut top-10 pick. After his few months of recovery, he will be one of the most anticipated workouts to watch at next year’s Combine.

Alabama churns out wide receivers year-in and year-out, and last year Waddle had guys like Jerry Jeudy and Henry Ruggs III to compete with in terms of playing time. Still, he made sure he kept the country’s attention with 560 receiving yards and six scores. That was a bit down from his 2018 campaign, but it was understandable because of how many playmakers the Crimson Tide had on offense.

This season, Waddle was on pace for a ridiculous final season. In five games, he caught 25 passes for 557 yards and four touchdowns, averaging a whopping 22.3 yards per reception. If he were to have played the entire season, Waddle was pacing for over 1,100 yards and eight touchdowns.

Receiver is not the top need for Chicago, but again, no one knows what the future holds for Allen Robinson. The opportunity to have a burner like Waddle lining up next to Darnell Mooney for the foreseeable future, along with whomever the future is at quarterback, is pretty scary to think about.

The Bears offense would not be short on electric playmakers if they landed Waddle, that’s for certain.