It was a total thrill watching Jordan Howard emerge into a star last season. The first sign in years that the Bears could locate top talent late in the draft. However, he didn't do it alone. A lot of people were left wondering where the Cody Whitehair Pro Bowl votes were. The former second round pick was outstanding in his rookie year as well. Pro Football Focus ranked him as the sixth-best center in the entire NFL.
That's pretty good for never having played the position before. He was also durable. While Josh Sitton and Kyle Long both missed time with injury, he played all 16 games. A good sign of things to come. If he was that good without experience, how much better could he get? Seems the experts believe a lot better.
Cody Whitehair Pro Bowl buzz is real
Marc Sessler of NFL.com was tasked with revealing one player from each team who would make their first Pro Bowl in 2017. His choice for Chicago? You guessed it. Whitehair had some competition in the form of fellow 2016 pick Leonard Floyd, but durability was the deciding factor. To say nothing of the Bears' long history of success at center."Cody Whitehair, center: Chicago's team-building process remains an enigma. The low-wattage offense suggests few Pro Bowl candidates beyond Jordan Howard, who already made the all-star affair as a rookie running back. With Mike Glennon -- and potentially rookie Mitchell Trubisky -- under center, good luck pinpointing potential Pro Bowlers in the passing game. A more logical candidate comes in the form of Whitehair, the second-year center who finished last season as the sixth-ranked player at his position, per Pro Football Focus. The second-rounder improved as the season wound on and gives the Bears a strong presence up front."https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH323naU9Fk&t=70s The Bears offensive line paved the way for the second-leading rusher in 2016 and also gave up just 28 sacks. If they repeat that venture in 2017, it's only going to increase the exposure of just how good Whitehair is. Provided they can win a few more games, it stands to reason he'll get the necessary votes. If he doesn't, one can expect Bears fans to start burning things to the ground. They've gotten pretty good at it of late after years of frustration.
Loading comments...