NEWSLETTER
The Chicago Bears might have discovered a late-round gem in Kylie Fitts, a player who showed tremendous upside despite being oft-injured during his college career.
In a video shared on the Bears’ YouTube channel, radio play-by-play voice Jeff Joniak picks the brain of area scout David Williams, who provides some insight on why Fitts was – sigh – a fit for the Bears.
“This is the type of guy that regardless of what game you put on, when he plays his motor stands out,” Williams explained. “You see the same type effort in the first quarter as you see in the fourth quarter. This is the type of guy that I think embodies what we’re looking for from just a competitiveness standpoint and trying to build that Monster of the Midway.”
Even though Fitts showed he was versatile enough to play outside linebacker and defensive end while at Utah, he’ll be making the full-time transition into a 3-4 backer starting this season. Williams described Fitts’ pursuit of the ball as relentless and highlighted it as one of the things that stood about about his game. Having a hot motor, good instincts, a strong competitive nature, and some natural skills gives Fitts a fighting chance to pack a punch from an edge rusher spot across the field from Leonard Floyd.
It’s interesting that Williams also notes Fitts’ ability to stop the run as a strength multiple times, which suggests the Bears’ sixth-round pick is no one-trick pony. As it stands, Fitts might be an early-down option as an outside linebacker until he grows as a pass rusher.
Fitts fell to the sixth-round, but mostly because health problems kept him off the field during his stint at Utah. A four-star recruit coming out of high school in California, Fitts was always believed to have tremendous upside and potential, and actually lived up to it when he was healthy. Issues staying on the field popped up with the Utes, but it’s easy to find yourself looking past that when he’s on the field producing.
“He’s been a little snake bit by injuries but when he plays he’s productive,” Williams said. “You feel his presence, you feel his strength, you feel his length at the point of attack.”
You can watch the video below for a full scope of Williams’ analysis on Fitts below:
