Chicago Bears: 3 under-the-radar replacements for Tarik Cohen

1. Kerrith Whyte, Detroit Lions Practice Squad

A year ago, the Bears were in the market for running backs. Jordan Howard was no longer part of the team’s plans, and Pace was out to find his workhorse — and maybe more. As the story goes, the Bears drafted David Montgomery in the third round after trading up. Later on in the 2019 NFL Draft, Chicago selected Kerrith Whyte out of Florida Atlantic with a seventh rounder.

Whyte didn’t end up making the team permanently, but instead found himself on the Pittsburgh Steelers, appearing in six games total. As a rookie, he carried the ball 24 times for 122 yards and caught a pass for nine yards. It wasn’t much, but there were a handful of plays where it looked as though the Bears gave up on Whyte far too early.

After all, back in college, Whyte was electric. He was part of a dynamic duo as Devin Singletary took the lead role while Whyte was the compliment. He hardly has a lot of tread on his tires and offers a lot of quickness as a smaller guy — similar to Cohen.

Over his time at Florida Atlantic, Whyte averaged 6.2 yards per touch on offense. He also has experience handling kick returns, so maybe there’s a shot he could help out on punt return as well. As a kick returner, he averaged 26.1 yards per tote.

Now, Whyte is a member of the Lions’ practice squad. If they opt not to protect him before next week’s game, the Bears could sign him immediately. In terms of size and skillset, Whyte may be the best fit to come back to Chicago and help replace Cohen.