Chicago Bears: Teven Jenkins and Ryan Pace’s history trading up in the draft
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace trade up for Leonard Floyd in the 2016 NFL Draft
Bears trade: 11th-overall pick and a fourth-round pick to take Leonard Floyd ninth overall
Verdict: Not a good trade
This was Pace’s first big trade-up with the Bears. After taking Kevin White in the first round the prior year, the Bears front office was under a lot of pressure. Even though White’s injury wasn’t the front office’s fault, having a top-10 pick sit out his entire rookie season isn’t a great way to start your tenure as general manager.
Chicago was worried the Giants would take Floyd with the 10th-overall pick and traded up one spot ahead of them to make sure that didn’t happen. Despite never having great sack numbers in college, the Bears thought they could turn Floyd into one of the best pass rushers in the league. He was a great athlete and had a lot of upside, but never lived up to it.
Floyd just wasn’t a productive enough player in Chicago
After his rookie season, Floyd struggled to get to the quarterback and only recorded 11.5 sacks in his last three years with the Bears. Even the addition of All-Pro Khalil Mack didn’t help Floyd take the next step. Floyd was solid in pass coverage and run defense but was never the difference-maker the Bears were hoping he could be. Regardless of what Floyd ends up doing with the Rams, it doesn’t change his disappointing time with Chicago.