It's common to exercise caution when getting excited about draft picks, especially 4th rounders. The general belief is they went that late for a reason. Their odds of NFL success are far longer than 1st or 2nd rounders. Except, time continues to prove that the draft process is far from foolproof. The Chicago Bears have seen it plenty of times in recent years. That is why it is okay to believe their own eyes. From what they're seeing so far of Tyler Scott, it feels like they may have stolen something.
GM Ryan Poles secured the Cincinnati wide receiver with his second of two 4th round picks two months ago. Even then, some evaluators felt the Bears had gotten excellent value. Scott had been projected to go much earlier than that, even as high as the 2nd round. There are various reasons why he fell. Some teams were worried about his size at under 180 lbs. Others felt his production was lacking despite good tape. Whatever the reasons, Chicago couldn't let him go by another time. Now according to Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago, they're more than happy with their decision.
The receiver is already turning heads in practice.
"His speed shows up, his suddenness shows up, and his moves and run after the catch show up," wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. "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.
"You have to worry about breaking the huddle. There’s motions, there’s shift. Where’s my split? What’s the depth of my route? Certain defenses make a route convert into another route. It’s a lot of things going on at wide receiver. It’s not just lining up on the right side, going 10 yards, going right, and catch the ball. There’s a lot of things that go on that people don’t realize. But he doesn't make the same mistake twice. He does a really good job."
Tyler Scott is proving more than just another fast guy.
Yes, speed matters in pro sports. However, the reality is everyone is fast in the NFL. That is why you need more than simple speed as a wide receiver to succeed. It's the guys that think the game faster than anybody else who wins the day. Davante Adams isn't a burner, but he's a route-running savant with amazing intellect for his craft. Scott can run. That is a good thing. Still, he understands it will take more than that to beat professional cornerbacks. It appears he is learning his lessons at an advanced pace.
It is important to remember there is no advanced scheming in OTAs and minicamps. Every drill is often wide receivers and defensive backs going head-to-head. The fact Tyler Scott is holding his own in that environment is a good thing, especially with how talented the Bears' secondary is. There is a long way to go. He must transform these practice successes into ones on the field. That is often the toughest hurdle to clear. Coaches seem optimistic about his chances of doing so.
