The top of the Bears’ wide receiver room has been set since OTAs and minicamps. However, heading into training camp and the preseason, there were questions about who would fill out the bottom half of the receiver room. Thanks to their explosivity, it looks like Tyler Scott and Velus Jones, Jr. have solidified spots on the roster. But that still leaves a spot for a potential sixth receiver. These three players are the most likely to be the Bears’ sixth wide receiver this season.
Equanimeous St. Brown
The Bears brought St. Brown in last season thanks to his familiarity with offense coordinator Luke Getsy from their time in Green Bay. However, St. Brown has had issues securing catches since becoming a Bear. These issues have continued into this preseason, where in his 21 offensive snaps, he has yet to record a single reception. St. Brown’s best chance to secure a reception this preseason came against the Colts when P.J. Walker threw a nice contested pass that he dropped. While St. Brown certainly has issues in the passing game, he is a good run blocker. However, keeping St. Brown just for his run-blocking ability may be a bad idea. This is the case because teams could zero in on the run if St. Brown entered because they know the Bears are not bringing him in for his pass-catching.
Dante Pettis
Due to an injury, Pettis missed the first preseason game, meaning he has played less than the other two players on this list. However, in the game that Pettis did play, he did not do much to stand out. Only recording two catches for 13 yards in 20 snaps against the Colts. Although Pettis caught both passes thrown his way, he did not have many yards after the catch. Not creating yards after catch hurts his chances of making an impact off the bench as wide-out number six.
Being a wide receiver is not Pettis’s only duty on the Bears, as they also use him for punt returns. Pettis’s strength in returning is his ability to field the ball cleanly. That means the Bears will not have to worry about turning the ball over on punts. The downside to Pettis’s punt returning is his lack of speed. Not having speed as a returner is detrimental because it makes obtaining favorable field position difficult. Considering both of these factors, Pettis may be on his way out of Chicago heading into the regular season.
Daurice Fountain
Fountain has flashed the most out of these wide receivers in the preseason. Gathering two beautiful boundary catches and a touchdown with his opportunities. One of Fountain’s beautiful boundary catches was a 35-yard over-the-shoulder touchdown catch against the Colts.
His other boundary catch was a nice 25-yard toe-tapping grab against the Titans.
These types of plays are what help separate players at the bottom of the depth chart. So having multiple stand out plays should help Fountain secure a spot on the team. If Fountain has another good performance in the last preseason game he might cemented his place on the team. Fountain being the sixth wide receiver can provide a spark off the bench in the regular season.
“Follow” me on Twitter for more Bears and NFL coverage.
Stay tuned for additional exciting NFL coverage, and check out more sports or gaming content on The Game Haus!
“From Our Haus to Yours”