Chicago Bears Rookies: The Future Is Bright

C Cody Whitehair

The former Kansas State Wildcat has been praised for his versatility for quite a while now. In college he played RG, LG, and LT. Now he’s occupying the starting C position in Chicago. Admittedly, I was skeptical when John Fox and company made the somewhat surprising decision to move the rookie OL to center (especially after they signed veteran Josh Sitton), but the 2nd-round pick is coming along just fine. And even though I didn’t see the urgency to push a rookie into a position he had never played before, I do admit that I’m positively surprised by what Whitehair has shown so far. After Week 5, Pro Football Focus has the rookie ranked 6th among all centers, and on runs through A-gaps, Bears running backs are averaging 6.8 yards per carry. 

His strong hands, footwork, and football IQ are certainly making this transition a lot easier than I thought it would be. 

When you get thrown to the wolves like that and a few shaky snaps were all it took for you to learn and shine, you are indeed the future at center.