Bears: 4 2021 NFL Draft potential replacements for Allen Robinson
By Cory Kinnan
Rashod Bateman, Minnesota
The second overall player to opt out, Minnesota wide receiver Rashod Bateman is off to the 2021 NFL Draft after a rather successful sophomore campaign with the Golden Gophers. The 6-foot-2 and 210 pound wide receiver racked up over 1,200 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving a year ago while at Minnesota, and looks poised to become a first round pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
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Bateman is a smooth athlete. While he is not as explosive or dynamic as the likes of Alabama’s Jaylen Waddle or Purdue’s Rondale Moore, Bateman possesses exceptional lateral movement that allows for him to break in and out of his routes with excellent precision and lethality. He can win underneath, and he can win over the top as he displays the aggressiveness to win at the catchpoint and down the field.
The Bears may be lucky enough to land Bateman outside the top-15 or even the top-20 as his draft range in mock drafts has fluctuated much more than Chase’s. Still a likely first round target, however, Bateman could go from playing in Minnesota to just two states further east in Illinois should he land with Chicago in the draft as they look to replace Allen Robinson.