Chicago Bears: Predicted Roles for 2016 Draft Picks
RB Jordan Howard, Indiana, Fifth Round (150th):
Drafting a running back at some point in time didn’t come as a surprise. Knowing that the Bears pursued Denver Broncos running back C.J. Anderson after cutting ties with Matt Forte, adding another ball carrier seemed to be in the cards. Indiana’s Jordan Howard is a load at 230 pounds, and could be a nice change of pace in the backfield with Jeremy Langford and Ka’Deem Carey.
Howard was a very productive running back for the Hoosiers, averaging 134.8 rushing yards per game (second in the Big Ten) in 2015. Unfortunately, injuries last season kept him from having even more yards, and possibly was the reason why Howard slid down to the fifth round—Howard was projected to go in the third round on most mock draft boards. On a brighter side, knowing that John Fox is a coach that likes to run the ball with multiple backs should give Howard a better chance of surviving an entire season, and not worrying about carrying the entire load for the offense.
Howard’s main competition will be against Carey and Jacquizz Rodgers for a spot on the depth chart behind Langford, but could find it difficult to adjust to special teams.
Next: Deandre Houston-Carson