Tyler Scott Tells Great Story Of Him Hoodwinking Jaylon Johnson

Tyler Scott didn't need long to reach the realization that the NFL is a different animal from college. The competition is much steeper. If he were going to make any noise in this league, he'd have to accept the challenge. That meant working hard to master the details of the wide receiver position. During his time at Cincinnati, Scott was able to lean on his blistering speed to make most of his big plays. A few weeks into his Chicago Bears tenure, it's already apparent that alone won't be enough.

His education began right away when he lined up against Jaylon Johnson for the first time. The cornerback wasn't phased at all by his speed and humbled the rookie in their first head-to-head battle.

“My very first rep, he was on top of it. He ran it for me. … He just kind of gave me a taste of what a high-level-caliber cornerback, how they dissect the game and how they’re just one step ahead.”

Something had to change.

If Johnson was a taste of what most NFL cornerbacks were like, there was no way he'd survive unless he honed his craft. One way to do that was by laying traps. This could be done by "making everything look the same" and being "a good actor." When he faced Johnson again this week, he was ready to show how quickly he'd learned.

“I caught a deeper hitch today against him on seven-on-seven, and the biggest thing I was trying to focus on was just really giving him my presence. Like, I’m going deep and just snapping it off and shutting it down and I ended up making the catch.”

Tyler Scott is living up to his reputation.

Special teams coordinator Richard Hightower pointed out a key trait about the receiver that stood out immediately. He never makes the same mistake twice. In other words, Scott is a fast learner. This progression of encounters with Johnson is a perfect example. Most rookies would take months to learn how to master the necessary techniques to outfox a professional cornerback. He managed to do it in the space of a few practices. That offers lots of hope that this kid is capable of becoming a legitimate weapon.

The hard part will be getting on the field. He has lots of competition. D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, and Chase Claypool are locked in as starters. Velus Jones has also shown lots of progress early in camp. Tyler Scott will have to pick up the pace if he wants to play sooner. Either that, or he'll have to make a significant impression on special teams, something he's never been known for. Preseason could be huge for him.