Bears draft Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley with fourth round pick

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The Bears stuck with offense with their second pick of the 2019 NFL Draft, grabbing Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley with their fourth-round pick, No. 126 overall. 

Ridley caught 44 passes for 570 yards with nine touchdowns for Georgia in 2018. Various draft analysts project him to be better in the NFL than his college production may show given his strength as a route runner, a skill that isn't always easy to find in young receivers. 

From a value perspective, getting Ridley at pick No. 126 seems like good value. The Athletic's Dane Brugler had him ranked 59th, Pro Football Focus had him ranked 71st and Rotoworld's Josh Norris ranked him 72nd and the Ringer's Danny Kelly had him No. 99. 

The Bears don't necessarily "need" a receiver right now, though Ridley projects as someone who can play an outside position in Matt Nagy's system with the flexibility to move into the slot, too. After adding running back David Montgomery with a third-round pick Saturday night, general manager Ryan Pace said he and Nagy had a vision for how they could use their new offensive weapon. Likely, they're of a similar mindset with how Ridley can fit into the Bears' offense long-term.

The Bears were high on Ridley's brother, Calvin, a year ago, and reportedly tried to trade back into the first round before the Atlanta Falcons drafted him. Calvin Ridley, too, had some good things to say about Mitch Trubisky at the 2018 NFL Combine that surely his younger brother has heard, too. 

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