LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- DJ Moore was the Bears' big offseason addition to the wide receiver room. Injecting a true No. 1 receiver into the locker room has already elevated the passing game and given the locker room a different feel.
While Moore is the headliner of the Bears' retooled wide receiver room, another newcomer has also opened eyes during the offseason program -- rookie Tyler Scott.
"His speed shows up, his suddenness shows up, and his moves and run after the catch show up," wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert said. "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.
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"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."
The Bears selected Scott in the fourth round in April's 2023 NFL Draft.
The former Junior Olympian gives the Bears a vertical field-stretcher with legitimate 4.21 speed. Scott's versatility and contested-catch ability made him a no-brainer for a Bears team looking to add big-play ability to its passing game.
The Bears expect Scott's blistering speed to pair well with quarterback Justin Fields' ability to throw the deep ball. Scott arrives in the NFL with work to do as a route-runner, but the Bears are confident he'll progress quickly at the NFL level.
"So he checks all of those boxes, so I know with good coaching and his hard work that he’s going put in too, that he can take that next step and add the details of route-running with the speed and that will be a deadly combination," general manager Ryan Poles said after the draft. "But the beautiful thing is, when you have top-end speed, that buys you time to get that detail in and become a pro in your skillset and how you approach the game."
While Scott's dynamic speed is the rookie's defining attribute, it's not the only thing that has the Bears excited about where the Cincinnati product is going.
"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,"
The Bears hope they can use Scott's speed to open up the middle of the field, where Moore, Darnel Mooney, and tight end Cole Kmet prefer to operate.
Adding Moore will allow Scott to fly under the radar, especially early on this season. Had the Bears not added a top-flight receiver, the expectations for Scott would be extremely high right out of the gate. But with Moore, Mooney, and Chase Claypool entrenched as the Bears' top-three options, the Bears can be patient with the speedy rookie.
But when his number is called, Scott understands why the Bears brought him to Chicago before a critical season for Fields.
"A lot of people talk about my speed and my deep threat ability," Scott said at rookie minicamp. "I know he likes to throw the ball pretty deep. So just be another weapon.
"At the end of the day, it’s my job to make his job easier and make him great. As one of my coaches said, put his name in the newspaper."