Chicago Bears 2021 Draft: Must-target small school prospects
By Ryan Heckman
Chicago Bears Small School Draft Targets: WR Jaelon Darden, North Texas
One guy who has risen over the past couple of months, as more and more folks have done tape studies, is Jaelon Darden out of North Texas. The Mean Green standout has always been one of my favorite players in this draft, but he’s just now getting even more attention.
At this point, Darden could end up going as high as the third round — maybe even higher, depending on whether a team wants to reach just a bit. But, if he’s there in the third, that’s a fair price to pay for this kid.
Darden is a lightning bolt. This is a big play waiting to happen, folks, and on any given down. Darden can get behind a defense in the blink of an eye, and before you know it, he’s in the end zone.
Adding a playmaker like Darden to go along with Darnell Mooney would make this offense that much more fun to watch. Giving the Bears two receivers with such incredible speed could equal fireworks.
This past season, Darden had his highest production yet while playing a shorter season due to the way the world has been over the last year. In just nine games, Darden caught 74 passes for 1,190 yards and 19 touchdowns.
If you do the quick math, Darden scored a touchdown once out of every 3.89 touches. If he caught four passes in a game, he scored. Those numbers are absolutely mind-blowing.
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Darden is a guy who has a nose for the end zone. He wants to score when he gets the football. That’s the type of guy the Bears need on this team. If he’s on the board in the third round and the Bears still need a wideout, Darden is the perfect pick.