5 Chicago Bears with most on the line in 2023 NFL Draft

1. Do Chicago Bears really trust Cody Whitehair?

When Ryan Poles said that Cody Whitehair would be the answer at center, it sent signals up that the team is likely to draft a center. Ryan Poles is open and honest, but he was short and cut things off after saying that they talked to Whitehair about moving back to center.

That is because Poles knows that while it is true that Whitehair is the current plan at center, he knows this is not a real long-term solution. If they are going to find that type of solution, it probably will have to come via the NFL Draft. The question is, how high do they draft a center, and how does that impact Whitehair?

If they draft someone like Joe Tippmann, it could be a moment like Charles Leno after Teven Jenkins was drafted. The Chicago Bears could save $10M to move on from Whitehair, and may elect to do that if they can draft a day-one starter. At the same time, they could draft someone with the intention of sitting them behind Whitehair.

If Whitehair gets injured or his play declines, they can make the move, or they can make it next year. At some point the Chicago Bears will add a lineman who impacts the future of Whitehair. We will soon find out how high they take one, and what that means for his short and long-term plans with the team.