Assigning new grades to the Chicago Bears 2016 NFL Draft
The Chicago Bears selected Cody Whitehair with their second-round pick in 2016
With the Chicago Bears’ second pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, Ryan Poles selected Cody Whitehair. Whitehair is one of only two players left from the 2015 and 2016 Drafts to remain on the Chicago Bears roster. This alone gives him a higher grade than some fans may like.
Whitehair was drafted to be an offensive guard, but the team had to play him at center early on. Whitehair struggled at times with his snaps, but he was an above-average center. He’s been an average guard and has one Pro Bowl to his name. Whitehair is going into his seventh season with the Bears. I am not a fan of him seeing an eighth season and expect him to be a cap casualty in 2023.
NFL Draft Grade: B+
The Chicago Bears selected Jonathan Bullard with their third-round pick in 2016
This pick turned out to be pretty bad. Jonathan Bullard was taken with a fairly high pick in the third round. He was supposed to be a guy who started within a year or two of entering the NFL. Instead, he has only started 15 games in six years. He only lasted three years with the Bears. He isn’t even a guy you can call a special teams player since the most snaps he’s ever seen in that area is 17%. Over that same six-year span he only has 3.5 sacks to his name.
With the high draft value and the fact he was released before finishing out his rookie contract, Jonathan Bullard deserves an awful grade. Not to mention, injuries weren’t the main cause of Bullard’s issues.