Breaking down the Bears' depth chart at wide receiver
Come Aug. 29, the Bears -- and the rest of the NFL teams -- will be forced to narrow their roster down to 53 players.
Ahead of that deadline, the Bears are free to practice up to 90 players. Currently, they have 12 wide receivers on their depth chart. Who will make the roster? Let's breakdown the group in its entirety.
MORE: Bears' depth chart projection: Where position battles stand after offseason program
DJ Moore
The Bears traded for Moore as part of a blockbuster trade in March including the No. 1 pick in the draft, which turned out to be quarterback Bryce Young for the Carolina Panthers.
Moore made noise in Carolina with a revolving door of mediocre quarterbacks. He has caught for over 5,000 yards and 21 touchdowns in his young NFL career. He is a vital part of the passing offense and in the development of Justin Fields. Moore becomes the unanimous No. 1 passing threat for the Bears.
Darnell Mooney
Mooney struggled as the No. 1 target last season. He failed to catch for over 500 yards after recording over 1,000 the season prior. An ankle injury prohibited him from production towards the end of the season, but we saw where his season was heading.
The hope is a relegation back to the No. 2 spot in the Bears' offense will alleviate pressure off him and allow him to thrive. He proved an excellent second option during his sophomore season, so Bears fans should have confidence he'll deliver this season.
Chase Claypool
Riddled with offseason rumors about his mentality and the Bears' thoughts on him, Claypool has a lot to prove in his fourth season. He grappled with learning Luke Getsy's offense and developing chemistry with Fields on the fly. That led to an unproductive, 10-catch, 140-yard 10-game stretch.
A full offseason to soak in the offense and build a connection with Fields should do the trick. If not, next offseason marks the tail end of his rookie contract, so the Bears can wipe their hands clean of him should he not live up to standard.
Tyler Scott
The Bears drafted Scott in the fourth round of the most recent NFL draft. He recorded a hair under 900 yards in his final season at Cincinnati along with nine touchdowns.
He is a speedster with efficient route-running abilities. His athletic scores stood out amongst other receivers in the draft. It'll be interesting to see how much time on the field he gets with a fairly reputable starting lineup.
Velus Jones Jr.
Jones Jr. did not impress last season in his rookie year. The Bears selected the 25-year-old rookie in the third round of the 2022 NFL draft. He failed to find the field much as a receiver and struggled as a punt returner.
He muffed two vital punts at the beginning of the season and lost the job immediately. From there, his usage on the field was put into question. He is a fringe roster player this season, depending on how he performs in camp.
Equanimeous St. Brown
The Bears displayed how they feel about St. Brown when they handed him a one-year contract worth around $1.3 million in January. They covet his run-blocking abilities and big body.
According to NBC Sports Chicago's Josh Schrock, Dante Pettis is giving St. Brown a run for his money for a roster spot. St. Brown likely has the leg up, but it'll be a storyline to monitor as late August nears.
Dante Pettis
Pettis was not a fan favorite last season. He held a sub-50 percent catch rate and endured a late-game strip Cameron Dantzler stole directly out of his hands during a Bears-Vikings contest to seal the game.
Nevertheless, according to Schrock, he's impressed in camp. He has value as a punt and kick returner and has improved his connection with Fields this offseason. Fans probably wouldn't be happy if he made the team, but his performance on the field next season will tell us all we need to know.
Nsimba Webster
Webster was a special teams participant in two games for the Bears last season. The Bears kept him around on the practice squad and will likely continue to do so heading into 2023.
Thyrick Pitts
Pitts, who Schrock mentioned should be a practice squad player, caught for around 2,400 yards and 23 touchdowns at Deleware. The Bears signed him as a undrafted free agent.
Daurice Fountain
Fountain has four years of NFL experience, his last with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2021 with two games under his belt. Fountain, 27, is a big bodied receiver (6-foot-2 and 210 pounds) the Bears brought onto the squad this offseason.
Joe Reed
Reed was a fifth-round draft pick in the 2020 NFL draft to the Los Angeles Chargers. He's only seen the field on special teams and has no game experience as a receiver. He has one rushing touchdown and 29 yards, though.
Aron Cruickshank
Cruickshank is a rookie in the NFL this season. He played out of Rutgers for the past two seasons and Wisconsin the three seasons prior. He has over 2,500 career college yards and four touchdowns.
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