Chicago Bears: The state of the offensive line

Center – Cody Whitehair

Cody Whitehair was drafted to come in and play guard. However, injuries led to him taking over at center and he has not looked back since. It will be interesting to see how everything shakes out between Whitehair and James Daniels this offseason. Whitehair is technically playing out of position, but he’s been playing well.

In fact, in 2018, Pro Football Focus gave Whitehair a 70.4 grade. This made him the 10th best center in the NFL according to their grades. He has had some snapping issues but seems to have rectified them as the season progressed last year. Most importantly, he seems to have a solid connection with quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

The Bears drafted Whitehair in the 2016 NFL Draft with the 25th pick of the 2nd Round. Like Daniels, he received a decent NFL Draft Profile grade. He was projected to be an immediate starter. He played left tackle for Kansas State, but his size meant he would have to slide into the guard spot in the NFL.

Throughout his career, Cody Whitehair has been a consistent force for the Bears. He has yet to miss a game and is averaging less than two sacks allowed per year. He made his first Pro Bowl last season, and it was well deserved. In 2018, Whitehair had only two penalties and one sack allowed.

Whitehair is entering the last year of his rookie contract. The Bears have definitely received their monies worth when it comes to Whitehair’s contract. I fully expect that Ryan Pace will be giving Whitehair an extension either after the 2019 NFL Draft or at some point during the regular season.