The Senior Bowl is done. Now comes the Chicago Bears scouting combine preparation. It is arguably the most important stretch of the pre-draft process. One where teams likely solidify their boards, knowing which players are the true athletes and which ones might lack that certain something extra. More than anything, it’s the prime event that reveals where all the speed can be found.
This is something the Bears had a frustrating lack of on offense in 2019. Taylor Gabriel was considered their only true speed threat on the field and the big plays he provided were few and far between. He’s just not bringing enough by himself and with the uncertain situation with Tarik Cohen, the team has to think about adding more firepower.
The combine will be the prime location for them to find it. The question is who are the names that will fit this description the most? Here are five worth keeping in mind.
Chicago Bears scouting combine speed targets
Jalen Reagor (WR, TCU)
There are few players in the category of “frightening” speed each year for a draft. Reagor fits that. Defenses fear him. He is a guy who is a threat to take it to the house every time he touches the ball. In three years he averaged a gaudy 15.2 yards per catch for TCU and also had 312 punt return yards as a junior in 2019 along with a touchdown. The one big concern teams have is his tendency to drop too many passes.
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Van Jefferson (WR, Florida)
At both Florida and Ole Miss, Jefferson proved that pure speed isn’t the only way to be a legitimate deep threat. While he is certainly fast, he’s not a burner. Where he becomes dangerous is his route running. Jefferson can be so smooth and sudden with his moves, creating tons of separation down the field. This was on display all week at the Senior Bowl. The fact he’s the son of former NFL receiver Shawn Jefferson who is currently New York Jets receivers coach. This kid has football in the blood.
K.J. Hamler (WR, Penn State)
While only 5’9 which is short for a receiver, Hamler makes up for it with his frantic agility and straight-line burst. He isn’t just a fast guy but tracks the ball well and shows promise as a route runner. Smart coaches could move him around and find all sorts of matchups. He averaged 16.9 yards per catch in college and posted over 1,000 kick return yards over two seasons for the Nittany Lions. Like Reagor though, his hands are a question mark.
J.K. Dobbins (RB, Ohio State)
Few programs prioritize speed quite as Ohio State does. It seems like every year they put out at least one explosive offensive player and Dobbins looks like that guy for 2020. He has enough speed to pop big plays every time he touches the ball and is even more dangerous because of his quickness and agility. He had 2,250 yards and 23 touchdowns last year. Imagine his home run-hitting potential along with the grinding style of David Montgomery. That would be quite a backfield.
Brandon Aiyuk (WR, Arizona State)
You want speed? Aiyuk has speed. He averaged a whopping 18.3 yards per catch in 2019 and 31.9 yards per kick return. Whenever he gets the ball, stopping him is a collective effort by an opponent. He’s 6’0 which is good size and is committed to improving his craft. Teams though worry about his lack of polish as a route runner and inconsistent hands. Something he’ll have to work on. If he manages to improve in those areas, he’s going to give secondaries a lot of headaches.
