LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears on Sunday selected Abilene Christian wide receiver Johnny Knox with the 140th overall pick in the fifth round of the NFL Draft.

Receiver Johnny Knox averaged 19.1 yards per catch last season as a senior at Abliene Christian.

Knox transferred in 2007 to Abilene Christian, the school that produced Bears 2006 second-round pick Danieal Manning, after two years at Tyler Junior College in Texas.

The 6-foot, 185-pounder started all 12 games last season as a senior, registering 56 receptions for 1,069 yards and 13 touchdowns while also averaging 7.4 yards on punt returns and 25.0 yards on kickoff returns.

Knox’s draft stock rose during the offseason after he delivered impressive performances at the Texas vs. the Nation all-star game as well as the NFL Scouting Combine, where he ran a blazing 4.34 in the 40-yard dash.

“He’s very athletic,” said Bears director of college scouting Greg Gabriel. “He comes from a smaller level of competition, but the athletic skills and the speed are just too good to pass up.”

In only two seasons, Knox set Abilene Christian and Lone Star Conference records with 30 touchdown receptions. In just 25 games with the Wildcats, he caught 118 passes, the seventh most in school history.

While Knox didn’t regularly face top competition in college and may not be an immediate contributor, he possesses an intriguing set of skills. 

“You have to look at the learning curve, but the physical traits were really strong and he has a lot of speed,” Gabriel said. “He was clearly one of the fastest guys at the Combine at the wide receiver position, and we’re looking for someone who can stretch the field along with Devin [Hester]."