Chicago Bears: Predicted Roles for 2016 Draft Picks
G Cody Whitehair, Kansas State, Second Round (56th)
The offseason acquisitions of guards Manny Ramirez and Ted Larsen, along with Kyle Long moving back to right guard, made the selection of guard Cody Whitehair a puzzling one for me initially. But after seeing how versatile the Kansas State product is, then this pick made more sense to me. And just when we thought the Bears were done altering their offensive line, a day after the draft, they released veteran guard Matt Slauson. So where does this put Whitehair?
There’s a good chance that Larsen will take Slauson’s place in the starting lineup at left guard, and Ramirez could end up being the starting center. This would leave Whitehair as a backup along with last year’s third-round draft pick Hroniss Grasu. The depth will be much-needed considering how banged up the O-line was in 2015. And seeing just how versatile Whitehair is, Chicago could use him to push left tackle Charles Leno Jr. in a competition during training camp.
In the long run, with Larsen entering his 10th year in the league, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Whitehair as the long-term answer for the Bears at left guard going into 2017.
Next: Jonathan Bullard