The Chicago Bears have a pair of top flight receivers already on the roster in DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. But new head coach Ben Johnson is going to want quarterback Caleb Williams to have as many elite passing options as possible.
That becomes even more true if Keenan Allen leaves in free agency. There hasn’t been much buzz between Allen and the Bears, or with any team for that matter. At this stage though, Chicago is certainly thinking about adding some more firepower to their wide receiver room.
They’ll have plenty of ammunition to add talent in the 2025 NFL Draft with four picks in the top-75. One option could be Washington State receiver Kyle Williams, who the Bears met with on Sunday, via Mike Garafolo of the NFL Network.
Washington State WR Kyle Williams’ slate of nine pre-draft visits took him to the #Dolphins yesterday with the #Bears, #49ers and #Seahawks this week. After 14 TDs in ’24, Williams cemented himself as an early Day 2 pick with a 4.40 40 at the Combine and good meetings with teams. pic.twitter.com/lWsbSokC2b
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 14, 2025
What Kyle Williams offers Chicago Bears
Williams spent three years at UNLV before transferring to Washington State, appearing in 50 games. He made 248 receptions for 3,609 yards and 29 touchdowns. The receiver truly came alive as a senior, setting new career-highs in receptions (70), yardage (1,198) and touchdowns (14). Williams’ work got him invited to the Senior Bowl.
As it did the NFL scouting combine, where the wide receiver truly made a name for himself. His 4.4 40-yard dash showed teams his true speed potential. Furthermore, Williams earned a Day 2 projection and a comparison to current Denver Broncos wide receiver Marvin Mims, by Lance Zierlein of NFL.com.
Fifth-year senior with alignment versatility and home run potential. Williams will never be tabbed as “sure-handed” but he can separate deep and create big plays, which could make the catch issues easier to swallow,” Zierlein wrote. “He eliminates pursuit angles as a catch-and-run artist and gets respectful cushions, allowing for easy comeback throws. His lack of route-running fundamentals limit his tree, but that should be correctable with work. Williams’ subpar hands lower his floor, but teams looking to add a playmaker could have him queued up as a future WR3.”
On the Bears, Williams would be a deep threat between Moore and Odunze. If teams are too focused on Chicago’s top two options, Williams can burn them deep. And if the safeties make the corrections, players like Moore and Cole Kmet should be able to pick up yards in the short-to-intermediate game. Overall, Williams’ speed and experience would give Johnson an intriguing weapon to work with in the receiver room.
Bears battle for WR3 duties
Assuming Allen doesn’t return, there is a major hole at Chicago’s third wide receiver position. While it may have been a down year for Allen, he still caught 70 passes for 744 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Somebody has to make up for that production.
As things stand, Olamide Zaccheaus is likely the leader in terms of wide receiver depth chart. The Bears signed him to a one-year contract after a standout season with the Washington Commanders. Zaccheaus caught a career-high 45 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns. While he may not be a household name, Zaccheaus understands how to make a difference without dominating the box score weekly. Chicago was eager to add him to the roster once eligible.
If not him, then the Bears have veterans Myles Boykin and Devin Duvernay. Although, Duvernay is more of a special teams player at this stage of his career. Boykin didn’t make an appearance during the 2024 campaign. And if not those veterans, Chicago’s best option is arguably Tyler Scott, who has 18 catches for 173 scoreless yards through his first two NFL seasons.
It’s not hard to see why the Bears have been connected to Williams. Even with Zaccheaus and a slew of options in place, Johnson isn’t done adding talent to his wide receiver depth chart.
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