Chicago Bears: 5 players who could be first-time Pro Bowl selections

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CHICAGO, IL – NOVEMBER 27: Al Woods #96 of the Tennessee Titans rushes against Cody Whitehair #65 of the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field on November 27, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. The Titans defeated the Bears 27-21. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

5. Cody Whitehair, Center

The Chicago Bears’ performance in the 2016 NFL Draft was impressive. Pace and company did a great job of landing impact talent throughout the draft process. The most impressive part of that draft was the Bears’ ability to land extreme value in the second round.

Chicago traded down twice in the second round, picking up a ton of extra draft capital for both 2016 and 2017. However, despite trading down, they still landed a fantastic player to add to their mix. With the 56th overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears took offensive lineman Cody Whitehair out of Kansas State.

Whitehair was a high-level left tackle in college. He showed fantastic natural pass protection skills and was strong in the run game as well. However, with his short arms, Whitehair was never considered an offensive tackle prospect for the NFL. But his skills translated perfectly inside.

The Bears draft Whitehair and he immediately became their starting center. Whitehair started 16 games for the Bears at the center position. He was a stable force for the team on the inside, immediately coming in and playing at an extremely high level. Along with Sitton and Kyle Long, Whitehair helps make up arguably the best interior offensive line in the entire NFL.

With Travis Fredrick, Alex Mack and Jason Kelce ahead of him in the NFC, Whitehair’s path to a Pro Bowl selection is not easy. However, he undoubtedly has the ability to make it happen. An injury here and the right team making the Super Bowl from the NFC there and Whitehair could easily find himself making the Pro Bowl for the first time in his career.

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