Chicago Bears 2016 NFL Draft Analysis – Rounds 2 & 3

By Ha Kung Wong

Twitter: @FBGarbageTime

So I know that the 2016 NFL Draft seems like it occurred “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away”, and there have been intervening events of great importance since then (like the new Captain America: Civil War movie, which was beyond awesome), but now that there have been some signings and we’ve all had a chance to think it through, I thought it was a good time to take a step back and look closer at what the Chicago Bears did in the draft.

Of course, you already know how much I liked the Bears first round pick in Leonard Floyd, as I had him pegged as the Bears target in my pre-draft article.  But what I didn’t accurately predict was what the Bears ended doing in the second and third rounds, which arguably could be the best second and third round picks of any team in the NFL.

Too bold a statement?  I don’t think so, and here’s why.

Second Round Pick – 56th Overall

Cody Whitehair – G

NFL Combine Results

40 Yd. Dash – 5.08 Sec    Bench Press – 16 Reps    Broad Jump – 110.0 Inches

3 Cone Drill – 7.32 Sec    20 Yd. Shuttle – 4.58 Sec

Unsurprisingly, after going with defense in the first round, and in light of have the 16th ranked offensive line in the NFL in 2015 as per Pro Football Focus, the Bears went looking to improve the offensive line in the second round.  It’s unclear if the Bears missed on draft targets and decided to trade back twice to 56th Overall and select Kansas State G Cody Whitehair due to value, or if this was the plan all along, but this was definitely one of the more savvy moves of the draft for any team.

In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Whitehair graded out as the best college tackle in the FBS.  And, also according to Pro Football Focus, Whitehair won two-thirds of his one-on-one reps at guard in Senior Bowl practices, good for second best.  So getting him late in the second round is some significant value.  At 6’4″ and 301 lbs., Whitehair made 51 starts at Kansas State, playing right tackle and left guard early on before moving to left tackle in his junior and senior years.  Other than earning the elite rank from Pro Football Focus, he also earned first-team All-Big 12 honors in 2015.

The concern among NFL pundits is that Whitehairs’ short arms (32 3/8″) will be a problem at tackle in the NFL.  Honestly, that’s not a big deal for the Bears, as he could easily slot in at left guard immediately (as Kyle Long will remain at right guard), or even challenge for center in the future in light of Hroniss Grasu’s rookie season struggles.

The other concern is Whitehair’s performance at the NFL Combine.  Other than his 3 Cone Drill (in which he ranked 3rd overall among offensive linemen), none of his results were particularly encouraging.  Of particular note was his lack of demonstrated strength, as he maxed out at only 16 bench press reps, way outside the top 15 among offensive linemen (27 reps being the lowest result in the top 15).

But honestly, Whitehair has a great skillset that appear NFL ready, so gaining a little strength shouldn’t be seen as a major obstacle.  Now that Whitehair is all set with a signed four year contract, this might end up being the best pick of the draft for the Bears, regardless of round.  He’ll be a nice boost to both pass protection and run blocking immediately in 2016.

Third Round Pick – 72nd Overall

Jonathan Bullard – DE

NFL Combine Results

40 Yd. Dash – 4.93 Sec    Bench Press – 23 Reps    Broad Jump – 116.0 Inches

3 Cone Drill – 7.32 Sec    20 Yd. Shuttle – 4.58 Sec    Vert. Jump – 32.0 Inches

This was a complete steal.  Many draft analysts had Bullard going in the 1st or 2nd round of the draft, but going in the 3rd was almost unheard of.  I’ve discussed this during our post draft podcast as one of my favorite picks of the entire draft, but for those who missed, let’s take a look.

Bullard moved between defensive end and tackle while at Florida, playing well as a junior (8.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks), but being extraordinary as a senior (66 tackles, 18 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks), earning third team All-American honors from the Associated Press, consensus first team All-SEC honors and being a semi-finalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.

Pro Football Focus graded him out with a +51.5 run defense and it’s clear he’ll be an immediate contributor in that department.  Just check out this great play against Florida State at the 28 second mark:

At 6’4″ and 285 pounds, Bullard has the ideal combination of physical attributes and speed (putting up an impressive 4.93 sec 40 Yd. dash for his size) to slide in as defensive end in the Bears 3-4 defense, or as a tackle in a Nickel package.  There’s some concern that he may have issues as a pass rusher (grading out at 68th in pass rush in the FBS according to Pro Football Focus), but his 18 tackles for loss in his senior year was good for 3rd most in the SEC and 6.5 sacks in a season, particularly in the SEC, is a solid indicator of potential.  Just check out what he did against new Mexico State at the 47 second mark of the above video.  Only time will tell, but I certainly think he has the speed to be an effective pass rusher in the NFL.  For the Bears third round pick, though, this is pure upside with a very high floor.

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