Expert Lays Out Why Kylie Fitts Never Should've Fallen to Bears

Ryan Pace has had good success on Day 3 of the NFL draft over the past few years. He secured starting safeties Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson in the fifth and fourth rounds respectively. Former Pro Bowl running back Jordan Howard was a fifth round pick. Electrifying weapon Tarik Cohen was a fourth round pick. It offers a good reason to watch such players carefully in Chicago. Kylie Fitts could be the latest. The sixth rounder out of Utah is considered a calculated risk by the Bears. He endured a number of injury setbacks in college but flashed enough potential there and at the Senior Bowl to convince coaches that he was worth taking a chance on. Most times a pick that late never becomes much more than a long-term reserve or special teams ace. Yet optimism remains high that Fitts could be different. He certainly flashed some skill before the draft that indicated he was health. Rob Rang of NFLDraftScout.com, formerly of CBS Sports, believes that there was another reason the rookie failed to break out during his time at Utah.

Kylie Fitts was a victim of poor coaching during college run

Rang contends that it wasn't just injuries that held Fitts back. He believes that Utah coaches didn't do a good enough job of maximizing his best skills. Instead they tried to press him into a role that he didn't fit and his productivity suffered as a result.

"Late-round picks Kylie Fitts and Javon Wims struggled with inconsistency in their college careers but possess legitimate athleticism and may have posted significantly better numbers had they played for programs that took better advantage of their skill-sets. Fitts could surprise at outside linebacker after spending his career penned up along the line of scrimmage with the Utes. Physically speaking, there are some similarities between the 6-4, 265-pound Fitts and former Bears' outside linebacker Pernell McPhee (6-3, 265), who played defensive end at Mississippi State prior to being drafted in the 2011 fifth round and converted to linebacker by the Baltimore Ravens."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=138GNA8Y0Go&t=1s What he's saying is that Fitts was forced to play defensive end for Utah in their 4-3 alignment. That meant having his hand in the dirt at all times and playing a more physical role setting the edge against the run. It takes a man of particular size and length to play that position in the NFL. Fitts would be considered a bit deficient in those areas. On the other hand, his quickness and explosion along with decent agility made him seem like a natural outside linebacker in a 3-4 system. These were traits he flashed whenever allowed to play standing up. This is no doubt what the Bears honed in on. They felt that putting Fitts in the Vic Fangio 3-4 alignment could unlock his hidden potential. Sometimes it can really be just that simple, cliche as it may sound.