When the Bears drafted wide receiver Tyler Scott in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL draft, they already knew he had blazing speed. Scott ran a 4.39 40-yard dash at his pro day, and his speed was something that made him an appealing addition to this offense.
But it’s something else entirely to see that applied on the practice field, where Scott has been turning heads with his game-changing speed during the team’s offseason program.
“His speed shows up, his suddenness shows up, and his moves and run after the catch show up,” wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “He can catch a ball, make a guy miss, turn around, get going really fast. Like zero to 60. Obviously, he has deep speed. And his knowledge, he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. There are some things that we put in, everything’s new to him, and we’ll put in something that’s new and he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. That’s always a good sign for any player, much less receiver.
“You have to worry about breaking the huddle. There’s motions, there’s shift. Where’s my split? What’s the depth of my route? Certain defenses make a route convert into another route. It’s a lot of things going on at wide receiver. It’s not just lining up on the right side, going 10 yards, going right, and catch the ball. There’s a lot of things that go on that people don’t realize. But he doesn’t make the same mistake twice. He does a really good job.”
Scott was brought in to serve as another weapon for quarterback Justin Fields, where Scott’s speed can help open up the vertical passing game.
While Scott’s speed is his trademark, there are other aspects of his game that have impressed the coaching staff as he continues to develop.
“The way that he came in, he’s got some stuff to him that you like,” offensive coordinator Luke Getsy said. “His approach — he’s got toughness. He’s a smart guy. I’ve been really pleased with him. By no means is he where he needs to be, but where he’s going and his approach and the way he attacks every single day.”
