Bears should take a look at drafting WR Jaylin Lane |
Ariana Pensy
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- 9 hours ago
INDIANAPOLIS, I.N. - One thing general manager Ryan Poles has done well in NFL Drafts is finding quality players in later rounds for the Chicago Bears. This season, wide receiver Jaylin Lane may be one of those players.
Coming out of Virginia Tech, Lane is not seen as one of the top prospects in the draft. He may not even be drafted, as the NFL Mock Draft Database has him as the No. 249 overall prospect. However, Lane has shown promise in the Senior Bowl and the NFL Combine. Lane played college football for five years, starting in Conference USA with Middle Tennessee State. After a breakout year in his third season with 940 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns, Lane transferred to Virginia Tech, where he played for the next two seasons. Lane finished his collegiate career having played 54 games, catching 203 passes for 2,532 yards and 18 receiving touchdowns. He also had another three rushing touchdowns. While the numbers are not eye-popping, Lane's intangible qualities, like his twitchy speed and natural hands, make him hard to ignore. In the Senior Bowl, Lane stepped up in critical moments, including a touchdown and fourth-down conversion in the second quarter. Lane's 40-yard dash at the Combine was 4.34 seconds, which tied for third fastest among wide receivers. He reached a maximum speed of 23.27 miles per hour. He also had an impressive vertical jump of 40 inches and a broad jump of 11 feet, both of which were third-best among receivers. According to Next Gen Stats, his athleticism score is 90, one of the highest among wide receivers. His production score from his collegiate performance is on the lower end of the spectrum at 64, although his total score is 75, which is higher than most receivers in the Combine. Thus, he has a lot of upside. Chicago needs wide receiver depth, especially if they do not bring Keenan Allen back. Signing another veteran would be beneficial; drafting a rookie would also help build the depth the Bears need. Furthermore, he has some upside as a punt returner. In 2021, during his second season with Middle Tennessee State, he led Conference USA in punt return yards (295 yards), yards per return (15.5 yards), and punt return touchdowns (one). In his final season with Virginia Tech, he led the ACC in punt returns (24) and return yards (245 yards) and recorded his second career punt return touchdown. With DeAndre Carter set to become a free agent, Lane’s upside as a punt returner becomes even more important since this may be a gap Chicago needs to fill. Furthermore, Lane has some experience as a kick returner. Since Carter served both roles, Lane could also join the kick returner competition if the Bears do not bring Carter back. Given Lane’s speed in the 40-yard dash, kick returner in the NFL’s new dynamic kickoff format could prove crucial. Right now, Chicago is sitting on two seventh-round picks. They could easily use one of these picks on Lane since it appears he will be available at either selection. Regarding seventh-round selections, it is all about the upside, and Lane sure has a lot going in his favor. His performance in the Senior Bowl and his NFL Combine numbers should be enough to get the Bears’ attention and think about drafting him on day three.
