The 2020 draft will essentially boil down to the 2nd round for the Chicago Bears. They have two picks in it with none in the 1st, 3rd, or 4th. So GM Ryan Pace absolutely cannot afford to get those picks wrong. Not with a number of voids on his roster still left to fill. Nevermind the fact his job is probably on the line. So each pick carries a much greater weight than normal.
So who will they target?
Many believe they have eyes fixed on the wide receiver position. Specifically, somebody who can add more explosiveness to the position. Matt Bowen of ESPN, one of the more respected tape analysts in the business and a former player himself, believes that Laviska Shenault of Colorado would make a perfect schematic fit for what head coach Matt Nagy likes to do.
Chicago Bears must trust Shenault will be healthy
There is a lingering concern about who exactly Shenault is. While his tape shows a player that can take it 40-50 yards at the drop of a hat, it didn't appear at the scouting combine in February where he ran a paltry 4.58 in the 40-yard dash. The hope is much of that was due to a core muscle injury. Something that had been hampering him throughout his final season at Colorado. Health is certainly going to be a topic of discussion with him.
Shenault never played a full season in college. Draft experts love his game, but can he stay on the field long enough for it to matter?
"2 Live" is both talented and stoic as a three-level threat with outstanding physical traits and ball skills. He offers explosive playmaking potential with strength/wiggle to house a short catch-and-run throw or race and leap to pull in a bomb downfield. Shenault shines as a phone-booth bully who's able to body up and create late windows while securing throws with vice-grip hands.
There is no question he offers exactly what the Bears need. A true vertical threat who will go get the football and also a dangerous athlete after the catch. Unfortunately, the COVID-19 pandemic makes it impossible to conduct physicals leading into the draft. That means a team would have to operate on faith that he is 100% healthy. Pace might not be willing to take that risk.
