The Bears were willing to part with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft in order to equip Justin Fields' with one of the NFL's most underrated weapons, D.J. Moore.
They later added another pass catcher, Cincinnati's Tyler Scott, in the draft's fourth round, and the rookie is already finding his footing just by watching the elder wideout.
"D.J. Moore, obviously, being a teammate, he -- man -- he's everything advertised and more," Scott told NBC Sports Chicago's Under Center podcast when asked which route runners he studies to help his own game. "Like he plays with such a calmness to him. Just the control to him. And football players know, you know, kind of what that looks like. And he just kind of plays just under control. But it's not necessarily like he's playing slow or behind. It's just, he just kind of plays like he knows what he's doing. You can tell he's experienced in what he does. … He's just playing at a different level than everybody."
Moore comes to Chicago without a Pro Bowl in five seasons, but he has three 1,000-yard campaigns to his name despite uneven quarterback play in Carolina, plus 364 catches and 21 touchdowns.
Although Scott is still waiting in the wings to start building his NFL resume, he boasts a 4.44 40-yard dash time that helped him amass 1,439 yards and 14 scores on 87 catches during his three-year collegiate career.
He was lauded as a solid value in the fourth round as a serious vertical threat, but he knows he'll begin behind the pecking order of Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool in Chicago's offense. That doesn't mean he's not approaching his rookie season with the goal of forcing his way onto the field anyway.
"I have a pretty heavy room as far as these guys that have been there, done that, you know, have a lot of talent," Scott admitted. "But for me, you know, my mindset has always been, be so good that they have to put you in the game. No matter who's around, you have to be so good that they have to put you out there. So, that's been my mindset.
"As far as the ceiling, I don't really have too much of a ceiling for myself. I just see myself being an impact and having a hand in the stirring pot of a team that's going to compete in the playoffs and, ultimately, for a Super Bowl."
With Scott being a Day 3 pick, the Bears will take any contribution they can get from the speedster -- especially after ranking dead last in passing yards last season.
If he exceeds expectations and becomes too valuable to take off the field, that's just a cherry on one of the tops he'll have blown off a defense.
"Coming in, my vertical speed, just being that vertical threat, I just cherish that opportunity and being able to be a part of something like that," Scott said. "I'm grateful that they trusted me to bring that asset in. Somebody like me who is very hungry to show what I can do, I think it'll be fun."
