Chicago Bears: Deep dive into the hype of the 2021 NFL Draft (part 3)
Every new Chicago Bears player deserves a chance
The Chicago Bears NFL draft isn’t complete without talking about undrafted free agents. These players still worked very hard to make it this far. For whatever reason, they weren’t drafted, but that still does not mean they won’t have an impact on the Chicago Bears. The Chicago Bears have 12 UDFA’s this season:
- Defensive line Thomas Schaffer of Stanford
- Edge Charles Snowden of Virginia
- Defensive tackle Sam Kamara of Stony Brook
- Running back CJ Marable of Coastal Carolina
- Linebacker Caleb Johnson of Houston Baptist
- Offensive guard Dareuan Parker of Mississippi State
- Offensive tackle Gunnar Vogel Northwestern
- Offensive line Gage Cervenka of Clemson
- Defensive tackle Daniel Archibong of Temple
- Tight End Scooter Harrington of Stanford
- Receiver Khalil McMclain of Troy
- Cornerback Dionte Ruffin of Western Kentucky
Ryan Pace had an excellent track record early in his tenure, finding talent in the undrafted market. Still, with the Chicago Bears having more talent, it has been more challenging for a UDFA to make the roster and a direct impact. That is a good thing.
No offense to any UDFA, but it should be difficult for them to make a roster nowadays with all of the technology teams have to figure out if a player can play. Sometimes a player needs time, and other times they did not get the opportunity to show their skills in college. I plan to give you a rundown of each player’s size and what they bring to the table.
Starting with defensive line Thomas Schaffer of Stanford. Schaffer is listed at 6’7″ and 301 pounds. Schaffer finished his career with five sacks, 38 tackles, and ten tackles for loss. Schaffer was most productive his senior year, where he played in all six games with 20 tackles and three sacks.
Schaffer battled injuries to start his career at Stanford but finally seemed healthy in 2020 and was on pace for a break-out year. Unfortuounetly, COVID-19 limited the team to six games, and nobody got to see what Schaffer could become.
Schaffer will have an uphill battle as he will face off against Khyiris Tonga at the defensive tackle position. But if he can show he is over the injury bug and continues improving, he could work into Tonga’s spot. The edge rusher Charles Snowden of Virginia was one of my favorite prospects considered for day three of the 2021 NFL draft. I am a big fan of Leonard Floyd, so it is no surprise the Charles Snowden found his way to my computer.