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According to PFF, Kyle Long Shows Flashes, But Needs Consistency

Kyle Long rated behind Larry Warford and Travis Frederick according to Pro Football Focus, but the rookie still has room to put together consistency.

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Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

Pro Football Focus turned their analytical magnifying glass on Bears' rookie offensive lineman Kyle Long as part of their "Rookies in Focus" series, and what they unveiled was a picture of a prospect who showed some flashes of productivity but still had some work to do to unleash his full potential and billing as a first-round pick.

Long's overall rating according to PFF was a negative-3.3 overall, with a -2.1 in pass-blocking and a -3.8 in run blocking.

PFF had rated Long highly at the start of the season based on a very strong preseason...

We may have been as guilty as anyone in starting the Kyle Long hype train as he was our top-graded guard during the preseason. While he did show that early promise, he did take a step back during the regular season on his way to finishing at -3.3 overall to rank 43rd among guards. He was hit-or-miss during the season, posting grades of at least +1.0 in five games but also notching seven games of -1.0 or worse. He'll be searching for consistency as he heads into his second year.

PFF also released a decent little infographic showing all their grades for notable rookie interior linemen; of the seven shown, Long was third-highest at -3.3, behind only Travis Frederick (C, Cowboys, +13.2 overall) and Larry Warford (G, Lions, +22.8), and ahead of Chance Warmack and Hugh Thornton.

We know at least two people aren't happy with Long's rating...