With the 181st pick in the 2018 NFL draft, the Chicago Bears select defensive end Kylie Fitts out of Utah. Finally addressing the pass rush deficiency, Fitts brings good explosion and length to the defense. He has a solid arsenal of pass rush moves, including a strong swipe and rip move set.
What holds Fitts back is the injury concern. He only appeared in two games in the 2016 season due to a foot injury and a multitude of injuries struck during his final season and limited him to ten games. The stats aren’t eye-popping (23 tackles, three sacks in his final season) and his durability does raise a lot of red flags, however, his swiftness and explosiveness would have warranted a third or fourth round pick barring injuries.
- Ep. 197: Fields to Pittsburgh, Still Available Free Agentsby Full Press Coverage on March 18, 2024 at 8:00 pm
Without much of the pass rush outside of the wishy-washy and borderline injury prone Leonard Floyd, the Bears had to pick up an edge or defensive end in this draft. And after holding the phone on an edge rush until the sixth round, the Bears mercifully land their pass rusher in this draft.