In the 2016 NFL Draft, the Bears traded up to select Leonard Floyd at No. 9 overall because they needed a pass rusher to build around. They wanted a difference maker that could become the centerpiece of their budding defense as he evolved into a force that couldn’t be ignored. Being by far the highest edge pass rusher Chicago has selected in the four drafts since general manager Ryan Pace was hired, Floyd has always had the weight of the Bears’ defensive hopes on his shoulders.
To his credit, Floyd has sometimes shown that original insight into him was correct.