Bears Free Agency Preview: It’s Jakobi Meyers or bust at wide receiver

The Chicago Bears have several holes to fill in free agency this offseason, ranging from the offensive and defensive lines to playmakers on offense to support quarterback Justin Fields.

The good news is general manager Ryan Poles and the Bears have the most money to spend in free agency. There will be little competition for Poles’ first, second, and even third free-agent choices once the signing bell goes off.

Wide receiver has become a costly position to upgrade in free agency, but the Bears may not have much choice but to sign one of this year’s available veterans. The 2023 NFL Draft has some quality prospects Chicago can target on Day 2, but they’ve been down that road over the last few years with selections like Anthony Miller (2018 draft) and Velus Jones (2022 draft). Miller is no longer on the team, and Jones’ rookie season left much to be desired.

One veteran who should rank high on Poles’ offseason wish list is New England Patriots receiver, Jakobi Meyers.

Jakobi Meyers fits Bears’ need for possession receiver

Meyers, 26, is a well-built 6’2, 200-pound wideout who evolved from an undrafted free agent in 2019 to the Patriots’ WR1 over the last couple of seasons. He’s totaled 150 catches for 1,670 yards and eight touchdowns over the last two years and set a career-high with six touchdown catches in 2022 despite missing three games.

A reliable possession receiver, Meyers scored a 75.6 grade from Pro Football Focus in 2022, which ranked 25th among wide receivers with at least 90 targets. His 90.3 drop grade (he only had one drop last year) was fourth-best for pass-catchers with 90 or more targets.

Jakobi Meyers ranks seventh on PFF’s free-agent big board and is the No. 1 receiver headed for the open market, according to the analytics giant.

“Meyers is predominantly a slot receiver but is certainly not just that, logging a little more than one-third of his snaps out wide,” PFF wrote. “What he lacks in physical tools – his 4.63-second 40-yard dash ranks in the 14th percentile among wide receivers in PFF’s database – he more than makes up for with sharp route running and great hands. Over the past three seasons, his 3.1% drop rate ranks ninth among qualifying wide receivers, and at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, he can use his frame to make contested catches. His 63.2% contested catch rate is a top-five mark among all wide receivers over the same span.”

Jakobi Meyers’ lack of speed a concern for Bears fans

Meyers doesn’t excite Chicago Bears fans because of his pedestrian athleticism. He isn’t going to run by many NFL cornerbacks, but his style of play doesn’t require it. As noted above, Meyers is a schooled and crafty route-runner who produces enough separation in his route to create easy throws for his quarterback.

He’s a physical guy, too. A deeper dive into his film revealed a player who uses his size to his advantage, both at the catch point and while running in the open field.

Is Jakobi Meyers a WR1? Is he an alpha wide receiver capable of leveling up the Bears’ passing game on his own? No.

But Meyers offers the upside of a 1,000-yard possession receiver whose skill set would complement Chase Claypool, Chicago’s presumptive big-play alpha, in 2023.

How much will a Jakobi Meyers contract cost the Bears?

According to Spotrac, Meyers’ market value is somewhere in the neighborhood of $12.5 million per season. He’s projected to land a four-year, $50 million contract in free agency. It’s an amount the Chicago Bears can pay — with ease — in this year’s free agency cycle.

At first glance, it may appear like that’s an overpay for Meyers, whose lack of game-breaking ability feels like it should come at a discount. But a review of the landscape of wide receiver contracts makes Meyers’ projection feel like a bargain.

New York Jets wide receiver Corey Davis makes $12.5 million per season. Robbie Anderson (Arizona Cardinals) earns $14.75 million per year. Hunter Renfrow, the Raiders’ reliable possession receiver, is over $16 million per season.

The list goes on and on.

Jakobi Meyers is certainly in the same class of wide receivers as those players. There’s a viable argument to suggest he’s an ascending talent whose production will continue to increase over time and make a contract he signs in 2023 become a bargain a year or two from now.

Bears can’t be picky at wide receiver

Let’s not forget the position the Chicago Bears are in. Claypool and Darnell Mooney are the only viable targets on the depth chart at wide receiver. Meyers would not only be an instant starter and massive upgrade over any of the other receivers currently under contract, but he’d also legitimately begin the 2023 season as the Bears’ WR1. It’ll be up to Claypool to prove on the field that he deserves that distinction.

The drop-off from Meyers to the next available wide receiver in free agency is steep. JuJu Smith-Schuster? Odell Beckham Jr.? Michael Thomas? No thanks.

If the Chicago Bears are set on adding a wide receiver during the 2023 free agency signing period, it’s Jakobi Meyers or bust.

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