The Chicago Bears are not exactly loaded with elite-level talent. But they do have a lot of young and interesting players on their roster. Which Bears players could make the Pro Bowl for the first time this season?
Last year, the Chicago Bears were completely shut out of the original Pro Bowl voting. Running back Jordan Howard and offensive guard Josh Sitton did make the roster as replacements, but the 3-13 Bears did not exactly have a huge presence at the game.
While the Bears are not expected to be major contenders in 2017, they undoubtedly have a lot of interesting young talent who could take a step forward and contend for a Pro Bowl spot.
Guys like Howard and rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky are among the most important players for the future, but general manager Ryan Pace has done a nice job of placing young talent around the roster. they may not be competitive in 2017, but there are a lot of pieces to like on the Chicago Bears roster.
Who are the major contenders to take that big step forward? Let’s take a look at five Bears players who could legitimately make the Pro Bowl for the first time this season.
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.
4. Cameron Meredith, Wide Receiver
Last season, Cameron Meredith came out of nowhere to be the most productive wide receiver on the Chicago Bears roster. Stepping in for oft-injured receivers Alshon Jeffery and Kevin White, the former undrafted free agent caught 66 passes for 888 yards and four touchdowns.
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Meredith had some problems with drops, but he is a big and athletic receiver who showed a lot of upside in the Bears’ offense. It will be interesting to see how he gels with the new quarterbacks on the roster, but Meredith enters the season as the Bears’ likely number one receiver.
Jeffery left the team in free agency and it is impossible to expect much out of the White. Meredith really proved himself as a big-time playmaker for the Bears last season and could take on an even larger role in 2017.
Similar to the center position, the NFC wide receiver spot is going to be incredibly difficult to break in to. Guys like Julio Jones, Mike Evans and Odell Beckham are not going anywhere. Larry Fitzgerald is as consistent as they come, and Jeffery with the Philadelphia Eagles and Dez Bryant will undoubtedly be threats as well.
It will be an incredibly difficult position to crack. However, if Meredith takes a step forward and gets a bit of luck, he could undoubtedly find himself in the replacement mix. I do not think that Meredith is a likely Pro Bowl selection, but he has the talent to get himself in the mix.
3. Leonard Floyd, Outside Linebacker
Whitehair and Meredith are both talented players who have a legitimate shot to reach Pro Bowl status. However, their path to the game in Orlando is undoubtedly a tough one. These last three players on the list have a much better chance of being first-time Pro Bowl selections.
To kick off their impressive 2016 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears traded up two spots to secure Leonard Floyd with the ninth overall selection. Floyd was primarily an inside linebacker in college but he has ridiculous athletic ability that made him an obvious outside pass rush candidate for the NFL.
The Bears took Floyd and immediately made him an outside rusher. An injury forced him out of action early in the season, but Floyd made a big-time impact as soon as he hit the field. In 12 games, Floyd was able to pile up seven sacks and create consistent pressure on the quarterback.
His ability against the run leaves plenty to be desired, but Floyd is undoubtedly an elite edge rusher in the making. His upside on the outside is absolutely massive.
While his pass rush skills are obvious, Floyd is also strong in pass coverage. His athleticism on the outside allows him to make an impact on the game in a variety of ways. Floyd will likely make the Pro Bowl many times in his career and I would not be surprised if this season turns out to be his first appearance.
If he can stay healthy, I like Floyd’s chances of going to Orlando.
2. Jerrell Freeman, Inside Linebacker
Linebacker Jerrell Freeman was absolutely fantastic in his first season with the Chicago Bears. Freeman missed four games late in the season with a suspension, but the former CFL star piled up an impressive 86 total tackles on the season.
Freeman was such a consistent force in the middle of the Bears defense, cleaning everything up in the run game and showing solid overall coverage skills. He is a quick linebacker who can range from sideline-to-sideline and is always one of the toughest guys on the field.
Freeman was a big-time bright spot on a 2016 Bears’ team with very few. In fact, according to Pro Football Focus, Freeman was the best linebacker in the NFL last season, with an incredible 93.8 grade.
The best linebackers in the NFL in 2016. pic.twitter.com/Fkh1fbSpcE
— PFF (@PFF) July 16, 2017
PFF had Freeman just ahead of Luke Kuechly and Bobby Wagner, both of who made the Pro Bowl. Sean Lee of the Dallas Cowboys even got the edge over Freeman to replace the injured Kuechly.
The suspension obviously hurt any chances that Freeman had to go to the Pro Bowl, but he undoubtedly played at a high enough level to make it last season. Freeman is a fantastic inside linebacker who continues to go underrated. Passing up Kuechly or Wagner will not be easy, but if Freeman can keep his nose clean, he undoubtedly has a chance to do so.
1. Akiem Hicks, Defensive Line
In his first season in the Windy City, Chicago Bears defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was absolutely fantastic in 2016. Hicks immediately came in and became a major force in Vic Fangio’s defense dominating against the run and in the pass rush from his 3-4 defensive end position.
Hicks piled up seven sacks on the season and 36 total tackles. He showed the ability to make an impact on his own and set up his teammates well for success. Freeman’s monster season had a lot to do with Hicks making moves up front. He is undoubtedly one of the best 3-4 defensive ends in the NFL and deserves consideration for the Pro Bowl.
Hicks was a bit of a Pro Bowl snub last season. It is hard to argue against Aaron Donald, Gerald McCoy and Fletcher Cox making the team over him. However, an injury to Donald forced a replacement to enter the game, and Linval Joseph got the call over Hicks. Joseph is an incredible defensive lineman who has had a great NFL career, but Hicks was better than him last season.
However, if Hicks comes out in 2017 and plays as well as he did last season, there is no way that he gets held out of the Pro Bowl. He needed last year to get on the map and as long as he continues to dominate up front, the Pro Bowl spot will be there for him.
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Hicks is arguably the best player in an impressive Bears’ defensive front seven. With his incredible combination of power and quickness, I would be surprised if he does not find his way to the Pro Bowl this season.