Is Tyler Scott an overlooked member of the Bears’ 2023 draft class?

Chicago Bears wide receiver Tyler Scott isn’t the first name mentioned when discussing rookies who will make the biggest impact in Chicago in 2023. That distinction belongs to first-round pick Darnell Wright, and for good reason.

Wright is already the team’s starting right tackle and will be charged with protecting the franchise’s most important asset: Justin Fields.

But Scott deserves more attention. The fourth-round pick from Cincinnati is an explosive wide receiver who offers the Bears’ passing game an after-the-catch threat that’s been missing since before the DJ Moore trade.

Tyler Scott had 54 catches for 899 yards and nine touchdowns for the Bearcats in 2022. He was valued as a potential day-two pick in the days leading up to the 2023 NFL Draft. He slid to Round 4, and the Chicago Bears got a steal.

“His speed shows up, his suddenness shows up, and his moves and run after the catch show up,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said during the Bears’ offseason program. “He can catch a ball, make a guy miss, turn around, get going really fast. Like zero to 60.

“Obviously, he has deep speed. And his knowledge, he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. There are some things that we put in, everything’s new to him, and we’ll put in something that’s new, and he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. That’s always a good sign for any player, much less receiver.”

Bryan Perez: Tyler Scott is amongst the best in this draft class@BryanPerezNFL joins @adamrank and @CarmieV to discuss @TheTylerScott

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Scott will do for the Bears what everyone hoped Velus Jones Jr. would during his rookie season last year. Jones was a third-round pick who brought exceptional speed and field-flipping playmaking ability to Chicago. But his raw skill set and propensity to repeat mistakes turned what should’ve been a quality rookie season into a nightmare.

Running back Roschon Johnson joined Scott as a fourth-round pick for the Bears this year. He’s been getting the lion’s share of attention since the draft concluded. But Scott could prove to be the more valuable asset on offense by the time the season ends.

At this point in the football calendar, only Moore is a sure thing at wide receiver for the Chicago Bears. Darnell Mooney is recovering from a season-ending injury last year. Soft-tissue injuries throughout the spring have hampered Chase Claypool.

Scott should get a lot of reps in training camp as the WR4 with upside. He’s the kind of worker who will make the most of those opportunities, which should lead to him becoming a regular contributor on offense once the 2023 season kicks off.

“They brought me in because I have a skillset they like and I feel like I can bring to my table,” Scott said in May. “A lot of people talk about my speed and my deep-threat ability. I know [Fields] likes to throw the ball pretty deep. So I’ll just be another weapon. At the end of the day, it’s my job to make his job easier and make him great. As one of my coaches said, ‘put his name in the newspaper.””