Who will be the Chicago Bears 2017 breakout player? Given the rampant pessimism among the media, one would think no such thing exists. Such is the reality of a team going through a complete rebuild. People still don’t understand how horrible a situation GM Ryan Pace inherited. Most general managers take over a roster that has at least 4-5 quality talents that are worth building around for the future. That was not the case in Chicago.
When Pace arrived only Alshon Jeffery and Kyle Long stood out as potential building blocks. Two seasons later Jeffery had been stunted by injury and suspension. It became clearer with every passing week just how much the roster had rotted away from the inside out. Such is the price paid for terrible drafting across a large stretch of years.
How bad?
From 2007 to 2012, there is not a single player left on the roster the Bears drafted over that span. Not one. For those interested in the math, that’s a total of 46 players selected and 46 players cut, traded or forced to retire with injuries. So yeah, maybe it’s time to cut Pace some slack.
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Bears 2017 breakout player is constantly overlooked
For the first time in the past couple years it feels like the Bears have something going. By no means are they a playoff contender yet, but certain pieces are slotting into place. Jordan Howard, Cody Whitehair and Leonard Floyd all flashed big time as rookies in 2016. Cameron Meredith could be an emerging star. Akiem Hicks played well above expectations as well. Josh Sitton and Kyle Long remain studs when healthy.
So who is in line to join them as a potential playmaker in 2017? The most popular guesses of late are obvious ones. Offensive players with intriguing skills that could bring it all together. New receivers Markus Wheaton and Kendall Wright are two names that jump out. Same as rookie tight end Adam Shaheen. However, the actual breakout name to watch is on defense. His name is Nick Kwiatkoski.
Trending up play + opportunity = profit
The former fourth round pick announced himself to the world in Dallas last year when he knocked an offensive guard who was 60 lbs heavier than him on his back. People got so wrapped up in that moment it was easy to see how well Kwiatkoski progressed afterwards. Filling in for the injured Danny Trevathan at the start of December, he played solid down the stretch. Not only did he make 33 tackles, he also collected a sack and deflected two passes.
Pretty decent numbers for ones’ first five starts as a pro. People talk about how good Floyd will be once his body is conditioned for the NFL. Well the same goes for Kwiatkoski. He came in with a reputation for being a workout warrior and now has pro trainers on his side. Not only that, but he’s likely to have a huge opportunity in front of him as well.
Trevathan, who tore his patellar tendon, is considered a possible candidate for the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list. That means he’ll miss at least the first six weeks of the season. That’s six weeks of being the unquestioned starter alongside Jerrell Freeman for Kwiatkoski. The perfect excuse to play with a sense of urgency.
If the defensive line lives up to expectations, he could be in on a lot of big plays this year.
