Chicago Bears: 3 reasons Kerrith Whyte was a necessary pick

The Chicago Bears selected their second running back of the 2019 NFL Draft in Kerrith Whyte.

The 2019 NFL Draft was one to remember for the Chicago Bears. Going into the weekend, nobody truly knew which direction general manager Ryan Pace was headed. With every major starting position solidified, the Bears were simply looking to add depth elsewhere on the roster.

On Day 1, the Bears sat back and watched as their first-round pick was given up in last year’s Khalil Mack trade — I’d say that worked out.

On Day 2, though, it got real interesting.

Pace couldn’t sit back any longer as he traded up to make Iowa State’s David Montgomery the fourth running back taken in this year’s draft at no. 73 overall. Once again, he made a deal with the New England Patriots and found “his guy” with Montgomery.

Then, Day 3 came and things got even more fun.

In the fourth round, Pace made a move he had to make, drafting Georgia wide receiver Riley Ridley, saying afterwards that Ridley was by far the best player on their board at the time.

It’s funny how an elite defense allows a team to continue adding talent on offense, isn’t it? So, with Ridley, the wide receiver group became a crowd — a very talented crowd.

It appeared the receivers and running backs were set, as we headed into the later rounds. Then, came round 7, where Pace surprised some of us once again. At no. 222 overall, the Bears selected yet another running back in Florida Atlantic’s Kerrith Whyte.

For those who may not know, Whyte was one of the most electric backs in this year’s class. He posted a blazing time of 4.37 seconds in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day, and contributed on both offense and special teams at FAU.

https://twitter.com/Stadium/status/1048717718629900288

Whyte brings a lot of versatility to the Bears as both a running back and return specialist, as he averaged 6.5 yards per carry on the ground and nearly 29 yards per kickoff return in 2018. He is a true nightmare in the open field, and will cause Bears fans to get out of their seats in the near future.

So, why another running back, you ask? And, why Whyte? I’ll give you three excellent reasons why this was a home-run pick.