Detroit Lions, NFC North Position Rankings: Wide Receivers

3. Chicago Bears

It shouldn’t be news to anybody that the Chicago Bears are in a rebuilding stage. This rebuild of the receivers was almost inevitable after Alshon Jeffery left to join the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason. I can’t blame them though, as they most likely expect younger and cheaper players such as Kevin White to fill this Jeffery void.

White is an interesting piece. Coming out of West Virginia, the talent was obviously there. His combination of size and speed is exactly what NFL teams hunt for in playmakers. However, injuries have continued to hold him back over the past few seasons. If White manages to stay healthy it will be interesting to see just how much damage he can do over a full season.

The Bears also have a great option opposite of White. Cameron Meredith came out of nowhere to post 66 catches for 888 yards and four touchdowns in 2016 after doing next to nothing in his rookie season. His outburst at the age of 24 leaves the Bears in a great spot, especially if he continues this upward trend.

Past these high potential starters sit a handful of proven veterans that have been victim to injury bugs as of late. The biggest name of this bunch is ex-New York Giant, Victor Cruz. Cruz was a star just a few short seasons ago, but after an injury in 2014 slowed him down.

Along with that, Odell Beckham Jr. became a superstar in that time frame, leaving Cruz as an afterthought to the Giants. He should be a viable option if he stays healthy, and more importantly, work as a great role model to the younger guys.

The rest of the mid-level guys on the Bears include Kendall Wright, Markus Wheaton, Rueben Randle and Josh Bellamy. I highly doubt all these players make the final cut, but each of them offers solid NFL talent. Unfortunately, none of them have the wow factor that the Bears should be searching for.