NFL draft results 2018: Bears draft Utah OLB Kylie Fitts in 6th round

The Bears finally got their edge rusher: Utah outside linebacker Kylie Fitts, in the sixth round on Saturday.

They’ll have to wade through all-too-familiar waters, though — Fitts comes with injury concerns that have dogged other Bears players in recent years. He played only two games in 2016 before suffering a Lisfranc tear in his right foot, and was limited to 10 games last season because of ankle and shoulder sprains. He was able to redshirt in 2016, making last year his second senior season.

“Last year, getting my year back and still kinda fighting the injury bug and trying to keep playing through injuries and kinda making things worse, it was difficult,” he said. “But I think it definitely made me a stronger man. I’m healthy now and I’m excited to play for the Bears.”

He had little interaction with the Bears after the NFL Scouting Combine, so he was surprised to hear his name called with the seventh pick of Round 6.

At the combine, he tried to explain his injuries to teams.

“I just kinda explained to them that there was no serious injury, there was like injuries that kinda prevented me from playing and playing to my potential,” he said. “I think I kinda explained to them it was a run of bad luck. I think I got it all out the way. I’m 100 percent healthy now and I’m ready to go.”

The 6-4, 263-pounder will join an outside linebacker group that includes Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho and Aaron Lynch. He played end at Utah, but said he’s ready to play standing up.

“In Utah’s scheme we were a four-down front but on almost every blitz we’re dropping, so I felt really comfortable with dropping,” he said. “And then since the season ended I’ve been doing pretty much non-stop linebacker drills and becoming a lot more comfortable with that. I feel like that’s a perfect position for me right now.”

A former four-star recruit, he signed with UCLA before transferring to Utah after a year. After redshirting, he recorded 41 tackles and ranked ninth in Div. I-A with four forced fumbles. He had three sacks and 23 tackles in 10 games last year.

Friday, Bears general manager Ryan Pace said he wouldn’t force an edge rusher just to fill a need.

“Obviously we added some guys in free agency there with Lynch,” he said. “We’re going to try to get better at every position. That’s a position we’ve talked about but again, you can’t force it. We can’t force that, we’ve got to take best player.”