Tyler Scott was selected in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft by the Chicago Bears, so he did not come with big expectations. Nonetheless, he had speed and a group of draft experts believed he could have been drafted higher, so there was some hype.
Is there any hope for Tyler Scott with the Chicago Bears?
Scott was not expected to do much as a rookie but still saw enough chances to show what he could bring. The Bears lost Chase Claypool and Equanimeous St. Brown, which opened the door for playing time. Instead, he struggled to separate from Velus Jones and Trent Taylor for snaps.
Scott finished the year with 168 receiving yards as a rookie. Most of the time, if a rookie is drafted that late, and becomes something, they are going to show it immediately. Think of Darnell Mooney, who had one of his best years as a rookie. Instead, Scott was bad.
The litany of late-round players who struggled to receive 200 yards as rookies is long and ugly. Recent additions include Jalen Nailor, Tyler Johnson, Scott Miller, and Deon Cain. The list goes on. Since 2008, Antonio Brown has been the only rookie picked so late to produce so little as a rookie while still having a good career. However, as a rookie, he averaged 2.95 yards per route run, and he was drafted onto a club that was already stocked at wide receiver.
Scott averages 0.65 yards per route run. So, Brown did not produce as a rookie because he was not given enough opportunities, and when he did, he thrived, but Scott was given too many opportunities and performed poorly.
Tyler Scott will be the fourth receiver at best this year, and that doesn’t take into account the fact that many tight ends and running backs will be pass-catchers ahead of him. Scott has even battled to secure a meaningful role on special teams.
It is unlikely that he will play a significant role in 2024. That’s two years of showing little to no potential. At this point, the chances of Scott being a serious contributor are slim.
