Justin Fields needs weapons; there’s no doubt about that. Ryan Poles wisely chose not to splurge on a free-agent wide receiver group where the top names were Jakobi Meyers and Allen Lazard. Instead, Poles acquired DJ Moore when the Carolina Panthers traded for the number one overall pick. The top of the draft class does not have a true-cut number-one wide receiver. They all have their flaws, and sure, Jaxon Smith-Njigba would be fantastic to have, but the Bears would be better off using the ninth overall pick for a guy in the trenches.
Although the Bears have DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney, the rest of the wide receiver room has some question marks. Chase Claypool is a wild card. He has registered a lot of snaps from the slot, and there is no doubt that he has talent. Poles brought Claypool in to help further Justin Fields’ development, but due to his play last year and the acquisition of DJ Moore, I highly doubt Claypool will be a Bear in 2024. Equanimeous St. Brown is more of a blocker and had some brutal drops this year, including one on 4th-and-10 against the Miami Dolphins. Velus Jones Jr had his moments last year but mostly struggled. Although a wide receiver isn’t the Bears’ biggest need, the contracts for the position will continue to skyrocket! So, the Bears’ offense could benefit by adding a young slot receiver on a cheap rookie deal.
Two names come to mind when talking about slot receivers with second-round draft grades: Josh Downs and Nathaniel “Tank” Dell.
Josh Downs and Nathaniel Dell have similar physical and athletic profiles. Downs and Dell are both undersized. Downs is five-foot-nine and Dell is five-foot-eight. Downs is also slightly heavier, weighing in at 171 pounds, versus Dell, who is 165 pounds. They had the same ten-yard split results at the combine (1.49 seconds) and nearly identical 40-yard dash times. Josh Downs ran the forty-yard dash in 4.48 seconds, while Tank Dell ran it in 4.49 seconds. So, which one is a better prospect and how does their production compare?
Josh Downs was a two-year starter at the University of North Carolina. In 2021, he took over for an offense that lost Michael Carter, Javonte Williams, Dyami Brown and former Chicago Bear Dazz Newsome to the NFL. Josh Downs led the ACC catches with 101. He was second in the ACC and fifth in the FBS in yards with 1,335 and was fourth in the ACC in touchdown grabs with eight. He also had a passing touchdown in 2021. After catching balls from current Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell, Downs led the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in receptions again, catching passes from future first-round pick Drake Maye. Not only did Downs lead the ACC in receptions in 2022, he also led the conference in receiving yards per game and was tied for first in TD catches. In his last season as a Tar Heel, he hauled in 94 catches for 1,029 yards and 11 touchdowns. Josh Downs made 1st Team All-ACC in 2021 and 2022.
When you watch his tape, it is clear that Downs is a speedster. His quickness allows him to be used in pre-snap motion and on screen passes. He uses his speed to blow past the defense on deep seam routes and get open against man coverage in the red zone. His stop-and-start ability reminds me of former Chicago Bear Tarik Cohen. Despite his height, he can contort his body in the air to consistently make diving and contested catches. In fact, Downs caught over 72 percent of his contested catches during his collegiate career.
Nathaniel Dell started his college career at Alabama A&M in 2018, where he caught 12 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns. He then transferred to Independence Community College, where he hauled in 52 catches for 766 yards and eight touchdowns. In 2020, Nathaniel Dell made his debut for the Houston Cougars. He caught 29 passes for 428 yards and three touchdowns. Dell’s production took a giant leap in 2021 when he led the American Athletic Conference (AAC) with 90 receptions, 1,329 yards and 12 touchdowns. In 2022, Downs led the AAC in receptions with 109 and he led the entire NCAA in yards with 1,398 and touchdowns with 17. Dell also returned a punt 68 yards for a touchdown.
Dell runs like a gazelle. His blazing speed and tremendous change of direction allow him to break free consistently in the open field. He was one of the standouts during the Senior Bowl, where he repeatedly won in one-on-one drills. The Bears could benefit from his speed and knack for the endzone to boost an offense that averaged 19.2 points per game and was the worst-ranked passing offense in the league last season. His experience as a punt returner could help the Bears by creating competition between him and Velus Jones Jr.
There will be some concerns for teams when drafting either of these players. Both will struggle in press coverage against physical defensive backs. Also, their size will limit their role to the slot and impede their ability as a blocker, which is a massive part of Luke Getsy’s run-heavy scheme. Both Downs and Dell come from an offense where they ran a limited route tree.
In my opinion, Josh Downs is the better overall prospect because he can still make contested catches despite his small frame. I project Josh Downs to be drafted in the early second round well before the Bears’ are on the clock at pick number 54. So, Nathaniel Dell is a realistic target for Chicago in the later stages of the second round. But, both players can still be difference-makers on a Bears’ team that lacks offensive firepower.
