The Chicago Bears have reshaped their wide receiver room, trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, leaving recent draft picks Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze to lead a group that includes free agency pickup Kalif Raymond and former undrafted free agent Jahdae Walker.
Walker’s presumed place in the pecking order appears ripe for revision. The Bears are confident in Burden and Odunze, and Raymond has a history with head coach Ben Johnson.
Still, Walker cannot be counted out. Not after what he flashed last season.
Jahdae Walker Remains an Intriguing Option for Bears
Bears Got Glimpse of What Jahdae Walker Can Do
The Bears brought Raymond in to vie for the third receiver role behind Burden and Odunze, per The Athletic’s Dan Pompei in March. However, Johnson left the door wide open for Walker, who finished last season with six receptions for 87 yards and 2 touchdowns.
Only one other receiver drew fewer targets, and that was Devin Duvernay, the Bears’ primary returner. And yet, Walker’s stat line merely hints at the upside the 6-foot-3 playmaker has.
He is far from an afterthought for the group of pass-catchers at Caleb Williams’ disposal.
Moreover, he looms as the Bears’ best option for a third receiver, even with Raymond having a better track record. The Bears notably went away from Walker in the postseason, making him inactive against the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams.
That was after he scored the game-tying TD to send the game to overtime in the Bears’ revenge win (for their Week 14 loss) over the Packers in Week 16 of the regular season.
Odunze’s return from a foot injury for the postseason likely impacted Walker.
The Bears also had Olamide Zaccheaus as WR3 before Burden emerged. However, with Moore and Zaccheaus gone, Walker faces a clearer path to the third receiver role than he did last season, and figures to be better equipped to earn it with a year under his belt.
Kalif Raymond Could Bounce Back Statistically With Bears
Raymond, who is familiar with Johnson and the offense from their time together with the Detroit Lions, has been productive in this system.
He ranked second on the Lions in receiving yards and was third in targets and receptions with a 47-616-0 in 2022, Johnson’s first season as OC. It stands as the most productive campaign of Raymond’s career, save for TDs.
He would have tied Burden in receptions and ranked fourth in yards on the 2025 Bears.
Raymond, who turns 32 in August, has not produced at that level since. That trend could continue if Walker emerges for the Bears during the offseason program.
