Chicago Bears 2022 Mock Draft: Final mock before the real thing

Chicago Bears mock draft: Round 5, #150 — Tyquan Thornton, WR, Baylor

With the Chicago Bears’ second fifth-round pick, Fields gets another speedy target for him to use. This draft class is deep with wide receivers and getting Tyquan Thornton in the fifth could end up being as good as a pick they make as when they drafted Darnell Mooney in the fifth round in 2020.

This crop of receivers is so deep that a talent like Thornton gets lost in the shuffle. He wasn’t getting much attention in draft circles until the NFL Combine. There, he showed how good of a talent he is. He ran an incredible 4.28-40.

Additionally, he has a 6-foot-3 frame and 33-inch arms. Add to that a 36.5-inch vertical and a 130-inch broad jump and you have a freak of nature. He will cause defenders a lot of headaches.

The Bears want to put pressure on opposing defenses so the more they add the better.

Thornton uses his footwork, length, and speed to effectively create separation. That is one of the problems the Bears’ receiving corps had last season. Whoever was at quarterback had his passes contested on nearly every play.

Thornton has a high catch radius. That helps Fields when he has to place the ball where the defender cannot reach but where Thornton can.

The knock on Thornton is his weight. He weighs just 182 pounds. Many teams shy away from receivers that skinny, thinking that they’ll have trouble against physical cornerbacks and are an injury risk.

With that question and the depth of receivers, it explains why Thornton is rated so low. He could end up being a huge steal, however.