Heading into the 2019 NFL Draft, there was one running back garnering attention for his productivity at Florida Atlantic. That running back was Devin Singletary, who the Bears showed significant interest in.
Ultimately the Bears put their stock in Iowa State running back David Montgomery, who looks to be the perfect fit for Matt Nagy’s offense.
But the Bears also did their homework on Singletary’s backup, Kerrith Whyte, whose combination of speed and explosiveness made him a viable option for the Bears in the seventh round.
Whyte’s college coach Lane Kiffin told Chris Emma that the Bears got a “steal” picking Whyte where they did in the seventh round.
The belief was that Whyte would have benefited from another year at FAU, where he would’ve served as the featured back, to build his draft stock. But Whyte decided to take his chances on the NFL, and the Bears saw huge potential from dual-threat running back.
“Very explosive player,” Kiffin said. “I think he can help in a number of areas outside of just playing running back. He can help on every down. There’s some good stuff he does in the passing game.
“He’s a lot more valuable than old school and sitting back there in the running back position all the time. I think they’ll really like what he can do in the passing game, jet sweeps, motion, different stuff like that.”
Whyte, who spent his college career as a reserve, had his best production in 2018, where he rushed 134 times for 866 yards and eight touchdowns. He also impressed on special teams, averaging 26.1 yards on 81 kickoff returns, including two return touchdowns. His pro day numbers were also impressive, clocking a 40-yard time of 4.38, according to GM Ryan Pace.
Whyte’s special teams contributions will be of great importance as he fights for a roster spot with an already-loaded running back room. With Montgomery, Tarik Cohen and Mike Davis, Whyte could serve as that fourth back that makes his money on special teams, perhaps as a return specialist where he excelled in college.
