Bears rookie wide receiver Tyler Scott has been making an impression early in training camp with his game-breaking speed, which should make him a key contributor on offense this season.
Scott learned the biggest difference between college and acclimating to the NFL is the speed of the game but also “the knowledge of the players that you’re going against.”
That’s where veteran cornerback Jaylon Johnson comes in. Scott revealed how Johnson helped him learn the importance of the mental aspect of the NFL game.
“I remember my first rep against Jaylon Johnson when he came back in OTAs,” Scott said. “My very first rep, he was on top of it. He ran it for me. At that point I was like, ‘Man, he just gave me a taste of really [how] a high-level cornerback dissects the game and how they’re just one step ahead.’
“That’s pretty much the biggest difference, so I’m just trying to figure out now how do I use my speed, how do I threaten guys with that? At the end of the day, it’s a physical game … but it’s a mind game as well.”
Scott is using that knowledge when he faces off against Johnson in practice this summer, where he’s learning to play it close to the vest — and it payed off during one rep on Monday.
“With him, I’m just trying to make everything look the same. I’m not trying to give any tell signs,” Scott said. “As a receiver you have to be a good actor, and I’m just trying to be consistent in what I do. I caught a deeper hitch today against him on 7-on[-7], and the biggest thing I was trying to focus on was just really giving him my presence, like I’m going deep and just snapping it off and shutting it down, and I ended up making the catch.”
