The Chicago Bears selected Georgia WR Riley Ridley with their fourth-round pick, No. 126 overall, in the 2019 NFL draft, making it back-to-back picks on offense.
Chicago used its third-round pick on Iowa State running back David Montgomery.
Ridley appeared in 14 games last season and finished with 43 catches for 559 yards and nine touchdowns. His lacking production was a product of Georgia’s conservative offense combined with the number of pass-catching options the Bulldogs spread the ball to.
Considered a schooled route-runner, Ridley’s lack of top-end athleticism caused him to drop into Day 3. He ran a 4.58 40-yard dash and 30.5-inch vertical jump at the 2019 NFL combine. Those results hurt his draft stock.
But the Bears clearly viewed Ridley as a value selection despite the presence of Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Anthony Miller on the roster. Ridley joins fellow Bulldog Javon Wims in what will be an impressive gameday receiver group.
