Chicago Bears: 5 UDFAs with the best shot to make the final roster

Dieter Eiselen, Offensive Line

Do you think Ahmad Wagner’s story is interesting? Well, wait till you hear this one. Dieter Eiselen may be the most interesting athlete on the Chicago Bears roster. First off, Eiselen grew up in South Africa as an acclaimed rugby player and Olympic weightlifter. In 2012, he was really exposed to football when he watched Notre Dame beat Stanford 20-13.

In his junior year of high school, he decided he wanted to apply to colleges in the United States to play football. During his senior year, he flew out to a high school camp in Virginia. He got walk-on offers, but nothing special. So, he decided to stay in the United States to attend Choate Rosemary Hall, a private boarding school where he could play football for a season in preparation for college.

Before he even played a game, he went to a camp at Yale and got his offer. He accepted it a week later. He instantly took control at Yale with little-to-no experience. He earned the starting left guard spot midway through his freshman year and never gave it up.

During his time at Yale, he started 34 games. He earned first-team All-Ivy League in 2019 and second-team in 2018. He still has a long way to go before he fully develops, but he could turn into a solid player given his size and athleticism thanks to rugby.

To wrap it up:

Not all of these guys will make the 53-man roster, but some could push for spots on the roster. These guys all have traits that made them special enough to get signed to an NFL team. The Bears must see something in them, and that maybe them being practice squad players or just camp bodies. We never know until we see them.