3 Chicago Bears who are on the hot seat after 2023 NFL Draft

Chicago Bears who are on the hot seat after 2023 NFL Draft:  WR Dante Pettis

Any chance Dante Pettis had of making the Chicago Bears roster for the second straight year came to a close moments after the draft. Even though Pettis resigned with the team just this offseason, the move looked to be nothing more than an insurance signing.

Don’t get me wrong, Pettis was arguably the Bears best receiver in 2022. But the year is now 2023, and the wide receiver room has gone from atrocious to promising in just a few short months. Pettis was likely resigned to compete for the team’s punt returner spot, and not much more. The need for him likely faded once the Bears selected Tyler Scott in the 4th round.

Scott is an explosive gadget player out of the University of Cincinnati, who nobody thought would be available at pick No. 133. After multiple trades for established playmakers D.J. Moore and Chase Claypool over the past year, wide receiver was far from one of the teams’ biggest needs going into the draft. Ryan Poles selected Scott regardless, as he was very clearly the best player available at the time.

Scott is a lock to make the roster, which would naturally bring Pettis down the WR7 on the depth chart. No NFL team has the roster space to ever carry a 7th receiver on their roster, which means Pettis is more than likely a warm body that will last no longer than the end of the preseason.