Chicago Bears Open Thread Question of the Day: Who leads the team in receptions?

It’s an unfamiliar problem. The Chicago Bears, for the first time in ever(?) have almost too many mouths to feed on offense. Of course, this really isn’t a problem in the modern NFL.

When top-tier teams like the Eagles have players like AJ Brown, DeVonta Smith, Dallas Goedert, and Saquon Barkley, or the Detroit Lions have players like Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jahmyr Gibbs, Jameson Williams, David Montgomery, and Sam Laporta, the Bears are in good company with their assortment of pass-catching options.

So, who do the Bears have to catch the football this year?

At WR, they have:

• DJ Moore – the presumed WR1 who has racked up 194 receptions, 2,330 yards, and 14 TDs in his two seasons with the Bears.
• Rome Odunze – The 2024 1st round pick has already developed a connection with Caleb and should make serious strides after a solid 54 reception, 754 yard, and 3 TD rookie campaign.
• Olamide Zacchaeus – A potential wild card in this group, Olamide had 45 receptions, 506 yards, and 3 TDs last year with the Commanders and appears to be a favorite training camp target of Caleb.
• Luther Burden – The dynamic rookie has made waves in camp after his initial absence. His two receptions in the first preseason game showed just how explosive he can be for this offense.

For their TEs:

• Cole Kmet – After a down season, Kmet finds himself in an offense that could conceivably use him more thoughtfully. His best season provided a strong 73 receptions, 619 yards, and 6 TDs.
• Coleston Loveland – Loveland was the first pick of a coach who elevated Sam Laporta to 86 receptions, 889 yards, and 10 TDs in his rookie season. Loveland is thought to be a better prospect, so it isn’t far-fetched to expect a lot from Loveland.

And finally, the RBs!

• D’Andre Swift – Swift might be an imperfect back, but he is a very good receiver out of the backfield. He has 39 or more receptions in all five seasons of his career, including a whopping 62 receptions in 2021 when Ben Johnson was the passing game coordinator.

I think these are the only viable candidates to lead the team in receptions, but having seven players who are capable of leading the team is remarkable in its scope. Mind you, the Bears’ leading receiver nearly a decade ago was Kendall Wright. Times have changed!

So let’s get down to brass tax – who do you think will lead the Bears in receptions?

My answer? I’m really split between two players – DJ Moore and Colston Loveland. I am going to go with Moore.

The basis of my answer is trying to understand who will serve the Amon-Ra St. Brown role in this offense. I think that Loveland is going to develop into a massive slot receiver with blocking ability, but I have a hard time projecting Loveland to notch more than 70 receptions in his rookie...