Chicago Bears Draft: Reasoning behind every 2019 draft pick
By Ryan Heckman
RB. Florida Atlantic. Kerrith Whyte. player. College Stats. 57. Video: Bears select Kerrith Whyte. 7
Who knew that a seventh-round pick could end up being one of my favorite selections in this entire draft, for any team?
But wait — the Bears already have a strong group of running backs.
You’d be correct to say so — and it just became stronger.
Kerrith Whyte is an explosive athlete who ran a 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at his Pro Day. He was so good last year, that Florida Atlantic couldn’t keep him off the field.
Pause: I know you’ve heard that before, a thousand times, too. But, it’s the truth.
Whyte was so good that, despite playing behind Devin Singletary, FAU couldn’t keep him on the sidelines. He brought another dimension to the offense and was an explosion waiting to happen at any moment.
Bears: 3 reasons Kerrith Whyte was necessary pick. light. Related Story
So, why Whyte? Well, at that point, the Bears obviously saw him as the best back on the board in terms of overall fit. But, my hunch is that Pace wanted to give Nagy an improvement over Taquan Mizzell. The last couple of years, we’ve seen Mizzell and Benny Cunningham in the game in puzzling situations. Not to worry, those times are now in the past for good.
Whyte will take the role of Mizzell as the fourth back, but will also give depth behind Patterson as a kick returner. He averaged nearly 29 yards per kickoff return in 2018, bringing one back to the house.
As a broad view, Whyte gives the Bears added depth at multiple spots on the roster. He’s also a ridiculous athlete, which has been a common theme with some of the Bears’ picks and UDFA signings. Speaking of freak athlete, that brings us to the last pick of the draft for the Bears.