A look at the Chicago Bears best draft picks over the last 10 years
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears 2016 NFL Draft: Cody Whitehair, IOL
Selection: Second Round (56th overall)
The Bears took nine players in the 2016 draft; only one of them is still on the roster, making Cody Whitehair a shoo-in for the best pick.
There were still some other notable names. Leonard Floyd never quite lived up to the first-round hype in Chicago but has been a solid pro. Jordan Howard had a monster rookie season, and Nick Kwiatkowski, Deon Bush, and DeAndre Houston-Carson have stuck around.
For what this class lacks in game-changing talent, it somewhat makes up for in depth and consistency. Several of these players have gone on to get second contracts, whether they were with Chicago or elsewhere. Still, none of them come close to Whitehair in terms of overall impact.
Whitehair has been a staple of the Bears line and was named a captain for the 2022 season. It’s unclear what his role will be in 2023, but with a cap hit of $14 million for the upcoming season, he will once again be wearing navy blue in the fall.
Though Whitehair has been a serviceable guard throughout his career, there is some disappointment from Bears fans in his development. He never really built off a promising rookie season and plateaued.