Tag: Kevin White

Ranking each Bears draft class under Ryan Pace

When you put each of Bears GM Ryan Pace’s first five draft classes next to one another, how do they stack up?

We’re down to just hours before the 2020 NFL Draft officially begins in Las Vegas, NV virtually, giving teams yet another opportunity to improve their roster as the offseason marches on.

For Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace, this year’s draft will be his sixth and like most GMs, he’s found his share of diamonds in the rough while missing badly on top prospects.

But when you put each of his first five draft classes next to one another, how do they stack up? Below is a ranking of Pace’s worst to best draft classes between 2015 and 2019.

5) 2019 draft class

Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports

Key hits – None

Key misses – None

It seems a little unfair to rank the Bears most-recent draft class in last place, considering the players have only had one season to develop. But the truth is, none of the Bears five picks have shown they are true hits yet. They also relinquished their first and second-round picks when they traded for All-Pro outside linebacker Khalil Mack prior to the 2018 season.

Their first selection didn’t come until pick No. 73, trading up in the third round for running back David Montgomery. The former Cyclone was decent and definitely showed flashes throughout the season, but he wasn’t consistent enough and only averaged 3.7 yards per carry. He wasn’t bad by any means, but he wasn’t a standout. Most notably, he was the only rookie to play a significant amount of snaps.

Their next pick, wide receiver Riley Ridley, didn’t play a single down until Week 13 and failed to make an impact. Cornerback Duke Shelley, the Bears’ sixth-round pick, spent a large portion of the season inactive, and their pair of seventh-rounders in running back Kerrith Whyte Jr. and cornerback Stephen Denmark were released and spent the year on the practice squad, respectively.

It was a rough year for this rookie class, but the bright side for this group is Montgomery, Ridley, and Shelley will have more opportunities to prove themselves and take the next step in their careers in Year 2.

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Mitchell Trubisky, Kevin White among NFL’s biggest draft mistakes in last 5 years

Bears GM Ryan Pace has had luck finding gems in the later rounds of the NFL Draft, but he hasn’t been as lucky in the 1st round.

While Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace has had luck finding gems in the later rounds of the NFL Draft, he hasn’t been as lucky when it counts in the first round.

In fact, when Bleacher Report discussed some of the biggest draft mistakes in the last five years, two former first-rounders drafted by Pace made the list.

For the duration of Mitchell Trubisky’s career, Bears fans will be reminded that the Bears drafted Trubisky over Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson. As if they already weren’t reminded on the daily, especially after Mahomes led the Chiefs to a Super Bowl championship last year.

So it wasn’t a surprise to see Trubisky land on this list, where he clocked in at No. 3.

The No. 2 pick in 2017 has been the butt of memes for the past few seasons, in part because the Chicago Bears traded up to draft him in the same first round that featured Deshaun Watson and Patrick Mahomes. 

Trubisky is in a fight for his job, and compared to some of his draft classmates, that’s not good enough. In addition, the investment cost from the trade up to the second pick will remain a black eye on the Bears.

Trubisky is entering his fourth season, and his future in Chicago is cloudy at best. The Bears recently traded for Nick Foles, who will compete for the starting job with Trubisky. At this point, Trubisky appears like another failed first-round pick by Pace.

Pace’s first first-round pick was receiver Kevin White, who struggled with injuries throughout his career, never lived up to the high expectations. White played in just 14 games, where he had 25 receptions for 285 yards. White landed at No. 6 on the list.

To say White underperformed would be an understatement. He didn’t play in 2015 because of a shin fracture, made it in four games in 2016, one in 2017 and nine in 2018. He caught 25 passes with no scores over 14 career games. 

With a top-10 asset mostly watching from the sidelines, the Bears went for six, three and five wins before Matt Nagy’s arrival in 2018 to start a turnaround. White was the pick instead of Todd Gurley (10th), DeVante Parker (14th) and a host of defensive talent. 

After the Bears parted ways with White following the 2018 season, he had a short stint with the Arizona Cardinals, where he was battling for a roster spot. But White was once again hampered by injury — a hamstring — and he didn’t make the final cuts.

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Kevin White dubbed Bears’ worst 1st-round draft pick since 2010

To say that WR Kevin White underwhelmed in his four seasons with the Bears would be an understatement.

When it comes to first-round draft picks in recent history, the Chicago Bears have seen more failures than successes. For every Kyle Long, Kyle Fuller and Roquan Smith there’s a Shea McClellin, Leonard Floyd and Mitchell Trubisky.

The Bears are once again without a first-round pick in this year’s draft, which might be a blessing in disguise considering, more often than not, those picks haven’t ultimately panned out.

Bleacher Report named Fuller the Bears’ best first-round pick of the last decade, but who’s been the worst?

While offensive lineman Gabe Carimi was a candidate, Bleacher Report ultimately named receiver Kevin White as the Bears’ worst first-round draft pick of the past decade.

Like so many players who don’t reach their potential early in their careers, wideout Kevin White battled multiple injuries. 

He missed his rookie campaign with a stress fracture in his leg that required surgery. Then in 2016, after four appearances, the West Virginia product suffered a high ankle sprain and a fractured fibula.

Despite the early setbacks, White opened 2017 in a starting role. He caught two passes for six yards and then fractured his shoulder blade, which put him on injured reserve for a third consecutive year.

To say that White, the 7th overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, underwhelmed in his four seasons with the Bears would be an understatement. White played in just 14 games, where he had 25 receptions for 285 yards.

Injuries were ultimately his downfall, coupled with his limited route tree. But while White was a project that needed live game experience to thrive, it’s hard to learn on the job when you can’t stay healthy.

The first three seasons of his career were marred by injuries, as he was placed on injured reserve each of those three seasons. By the time 2018 rolled up, the Bears had added Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel and Anthony Miller to their receiver corp., and White found himself the odd-man out. He didn’t wind up on IR in 2018 only because he didn’t see the field that often.

When the Bears parted ways following his four-year deal, White briefly landed with the Arizona Cardinals in 2019, where he was battling for a roster spot. But, stop me if you’ve heard this before, White was hampered by a hamstring injury and missed the final cuts.

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CB Kyle Fuller dubbed Bears’ best 1st-round draft pick since 2010

While the Bears haven’t fared well in the 1st round in the last decade, there have been some success stories like CB Kyle Fuller.

When it comes to first-round draft picks in recent memory, the Chicago Bears just don’t know how to pick them. So perhaps it’s a good thing that they don’t have a first-round pick for the second straight season.

For the Bears, it’s felt like bust after bust, including most recently outside linebacker Leonard Floyd and receiver Kevin White.

The jury is still out on quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, but it’s looking more and more likely that he’ll be another first-round bust the Bears can add to their collection.

While the Bears haven’t fared well in the first round in the last decade, more often than not, there have been some success stories. Among them right guard Kyle Long, cornerback Kyle Fuller and inside linebacker Roquan Smith.

Bleacher Report believes that Fuller has been Chicago’s best first-round draft pick dating back to 2010.

Since being drafted 14th overall in 2014, Fuller has been a starter at corner from nearly day one. With the exception of a 2016 season wiped out by a knee injury, Fuller has started all but two games over five years.

The 28-year-old has 18 career interceptions, including seven in 2018 (which tied for the NFL lead). In each of the past two seasons, the former Virginia Tech standout has been named to the Pro Bowl.

While Fuller’s career got off to a shaky start, he grew into a Pro Bowl cornerback for the Bears and, along with Pro Bowl safety Eddie Jackson, anchors Chicago’s secondary.

Fuller led the Bears in interceptions with seven in 2018 — which also tied for the NFL lead — and he once again led Chicago with three picks in 2019. While it was a dip from the previous year, he’s proven to be a takeaway machine for the Bears in the secondary.

The Bears will be looking to replace his former running mate opposite him at cornerback. With Prince Amukamara’s release as a cap-casualty, Chicago will be looking to bring in someone to pair with Fuller.

That starter might already be on the roster in third-year corner Kevin Toliver or newly-acquired cornerbacks Tre Roberson and Artie Burns. Or, perhaps, Chicago will turn to the NFL Draft for a young player to start Day 1.

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Report: Bears to release former 1st-round pick Leonard Floyd

Just as one pass rusher enters, another one leaves Chicago. The Bears are releasing former No. 9 overall pick Leonard Floyd.

Just as one pass rusher enters, another one leaves Chicago.

After the Bears agreed to terms with pass rusher Robert Quinn on a monster five-year deal worth $70 million with $30 million in guaranteed money, that essentially sealed Leonard Floyd’s fate in Chicago.

The Bears are planning to release former first-round pick Leonard Floyd, according to Ian Rapoport.

Ultimately, the Bears get out of Floyd’s fifth-year option and free up $13.2 million in salary cap space, which you figure opened up the door to bring in Quinn and helps with Chicago’s already-limited cap space.

The move doesn’t really come as a surprise considering Floyd’s disappointing production over his first four seasons. Every season, Floyd’s sack total has declined since he entered the league in 2016.

In 2019, Floyd managed a career-low three sacks during a season in which he played in every game. That, lining up opposite stud edge rusher Khalil Mack.

Floyd is the latest first round pick of Ryan Pace’s to fail to make it past the fourth year on the team. Receiver Kevin White was Pace’s first failure, and the writing seems to be on the wall with Mitchell Trubisky.

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