Ben Johnson May Be Eyeing His Next Amon-Ra St. Brown

Wide receiver doesn't appear to be of high priority for the Chicago Bears going into the 2025 draft. They have D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze in place and just signed veteran Olamide Zaccheaus as a free agent. One would think such a trio would be good enough for head coach Ben Johnson to work with. Then again, nobody knows what his priorities are. It has been assumed that the Bears will be aggressive in adding help at running back and maybe at left tackle. Receiver? That hasn't been discussed much.

Maybe it should be. If you follow the breadcrumbs from the past month, the Bears have quietly met with several potential receiver prospects, either on pro days or private visits. Some wonder if Johnson is still looking for a definitive presence in the slot, similar to what he had with Amon-Ra St. Brown in Detroit. His offense tends to favor that position, after all. Based on recent comparisons via ESPN, one name has surfaced who looks like the one Chicago will target.

Emeka Egbuka to Amon-Ra St. Brown

Egbuka was overshadowed by Marvin Harrison Jr. and Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State, but he still eclipsed 1,000 receiving yards in 2022 and 2024 -- the only two full seasons he played. He has a similar build (6-1, 202 pounds) to St. Brown (6-0, 202 pounds), who played second fiddle to Michael Pittman Jr. at USC before turning into a No. 1 wideout with the Lions. -- Adam Rittenberg, college football reporter

Ben Johnson would love Egbuka for several reasons.

He's a well-proportioned athlete at 6'1, 200 lbs and has the type of fluidity a good receiver needs. His technique and route-running are far more polished than most college players, allowing him to give defensive backs headaches constantly. While not blazing fast, he has enough juice to create separation. He feels like the next version of Terry McLaurin. Like Egbuka, the Commanders star was productive at Ohio State but constantly overshadowed by teammates like Michael Thomas, Curtis Samuel, and Parris Campbell. People looked down on him for not being special in any category, just good in most.

That is Egbuka in a nutshell.

Whether the Bears take him depends on timing and availability. Some feel he won't make it out of the first round, and Chicago won't take him that high. However, they have two picks early in the second round. If Egbuka slips to #39 or #41, it is hard to imagine Ben Johnson doesn't push Ryan Poles to pull the trigger. He would be an immediate contributor whose style would instantly complement Moore and Odunze.