Kylie Fitts, Outside Linebacker
Leonard Floyd took the field for against Cincinnati for the first time since Week 11 of 2017 when he sprained multiple ligaments in his right knee. The Bears’ 2016 first-round pick showed how important his on-field presence is for this defensive unit on Thursday. It was Floyd’s pressure that forced a poor throw from Andy Dalton, resulting in a pick-six for cornerback Kyle Fuller.
Rushing the passer is a key contributing factor toward forcing turnovers, and the Bears lack significant depth in that area. Pace failed to add much help across from Floyd, signaling that he expects a lot from the 2016 first-round pick. Only Sam Acho and Aaron Lynch (who has yet to see the field during training camp) are established veterans who the Bears are using to bandage the pass rush.
Enter Kylie Fitts, who’s earned a lot of buzz throughout training camp. The Bears selected the edge defender out of Utah in the sixth round of April’s draft. At 6-foot-4, 263 pounds, Fitts is an intriguing prospect. Various injuries kept Fitts out of the lineup for much of his final two seasons in Utah. He saw the field 10 times in 2017, recording 23 tackles and three sacks. Those numbers are OK, but Fitts didn’t manage to stay on healthy enough to ever breakout at Utah.
The tape doesn’t lie, though. When Fitts was healthy, the former Ute was a handful for opposing offensive tackles. Fitts has tremendous upside potential as a pass rusher and run defender. He has experience with his hand in the dirt and as a stand-up linebacker, so Fitts won’t have a problem adapting as a 3-4 strongside linebacker.
Coming out of the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 2, Fitts was one of the hottest names on the roster. The 23-year-old put together an impressive first outing, collecting four tackles and a sack. Nagy praised Fitts’ “high motor” and pass rushing abilities from Day 1 of training camp.
‘‘You can’t come out here at a practice and take some plays off,’’ Fitts said after the Hall of Fame Game. ‘‘Every snap, every drill, you’re going 100 percent.’’
Unfortunately, Fitts didn’t show up for the Bears’ second preseason game. Fitts rushed the passer on more snaps than any other Bear, but he didn’t record a single pressure, according to Pro-Football Focus. Watching the tape against Cincinnati, he simply seemed overmatched and was unable find a rhythm on Thursday.
One game is certainly not enough to count out a sixth-round pick, however discouraging the outing. There’s a certain learning curve for rookie pass rushers, particular one who spent so much time on the sidelines over the past two seasons. It’s not time to count Fitts out, but it’s certainly time to watch him closely. How the rookie OLB responds against Denver will be telling. The coaching staff certainly needs Fitts to provide depth that they can count on if the Bears expect to compete for the NFC North.
