Hub Arkush: Is this the best wide receiver crop ever?

Third in series of our updated post-NFL Combine draft prospect rankings by position, with brief comments on players who appear likely to be fits for the Bears.

By now you may have heard the hype, as some are calling this the best wide receiver crop of prospects ever in the NFL draft.

My gut tells me that will prove to be more hyperbole than fact, but suffice to say this is a very good group, six or seven rounds deep in NFL talent.

It also is a position of real need for the Bears that many of us are refusing to focus on.

Although Allen Robinson is a solid No. 1, Taylor Gabriel is gone, Anthony Miller is coming off a second consecutive offseason shoulder surgery, Riley Ridley disappointed as a rookie, and Javon Wims took a step backward in 2019.

Of course, Miller could be healthy, Ridley could be who we think he can be, Tarik Cohen has to be included in the group, and there also is Cordarrelle Patterson. So the Bears could be fine here.

Minimally, they need a pure speed guy to pick up most of Gabriel's reps, and you never have too many talented pass catchers.

Denzel Mims, Baylor: This young man could be a perfect fit for the Bears if he's still there at with the 43rd pick, a potential “Z” receiver who can line up outside and take the top off any defense.

He also has the size and athletic traits to develop into a true No. 1, but he will need work. The reason he may be around at 43 is he's an unfinished developmental prospect. He was productive his sophomore and senior years at Baylor, but he's more a traits guy than a finished product.

Van Jefferson, Florida: Doctors discovered a foot injury at the combine that kept the big-time pass catcher from running and doing drills.

He's not a perfect fit for the Bears' needs, but healthy he can be a No. 2 in the NFL, and the injury could drop him into Day 3 of the draft, where he might be a steal when healthy.

Devin Duvernay, Texas: This would be a pure speed play in Round 5 or 6 for a bigger, higher-ceiling version of Gabriel.

Speed, hands and toughness are big pluses, but hips, quickness and agility are average, and techniques need work.

Collin Johnson, Texas: He may not be exactly what the Bears are looking for, but this kid is just a football player.

I've seen him slotted in the late second round and the early sixth. Teams are all over the board on him because of his measureables.

But although he's the opposite of what we expect from a general manager Ryan Pace pick — his traits don't blow you away — he comes down with every ball, and all he does is win.

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