Chicago Bears Draft: Best options at no. 9 outside of OL

3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Jaxon Smith-Njigba showed in his college career that he has the tools necessary to be a top-tier slot wide receiver. The 21-year-old recorded 1,606 receiving yards in 13 games in 2021, which was 3rd in college football that year. After that campaign, he was limited to just three games in his junior year as a hamstring injury sidelined him. Since then, JSN has seemingly healed from his injury and did combine drills.

Regarding the positives, Smith-Njigba has shown that he is an elite route runner with excellent separation ability. He has an uncanny ability to get open on short and mid-routes and turn them into more yards after the catch, and he has shown an ability to be a deep threat as well despite lacking top speed.

Smith-Njigba’s highlights from the 2021 season are outstanding, and it leaves NFL scouts raving about his potential in the league. One main concern, however, is his small body of work. He played just 23 games in college and faced a big injury. The wide receiver is two years removed from his outstanding season, and the Bears would be taking a big risk at a position that they may already have set.

With D.J. Moore’s addition to a wide receiving corps that includes an 860+ yard receiver in Chase Claypool and a 1000+ yard receiver in Darnell Mooney, it seems that Justin Fields has enough weapons to thrive in the future. However, Fields does have a relationship with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. The two played together at Ohio State for one year before Fields got drafted, and they have spoken about reuniting in the NFL. This would bring some chemistry to the team, as Fields has only demonstrated a connection with Darnell Mooney.

Overall, the Chicago Bears have plenty of options with their first round pick this draft. They will likely use this pick on an offensive lineman, but it is definitely worth considering some of the other excellent prospects in the draft even if they may not fit a current position need. There are some players in this draft that can be game changing, and Ryan Poles must put these opportunities under consideration.