Ranking 5 best UDFAs Chicago Bears signed after 2023 NFL draft

We all know that the NFL draft does not end in round seven, and the Chicago Bears acted accordingly in the 2023 NFL draft. The team went straight into the UDFA process, a valuable time by any NFL fans' standards.

Chicago Bears fans will remember last year when Jacks Sanborn was a big winner during the UDFA process. Sanborn took the momentum to training camp, earned a roster, and wound up starting a few games as a rookie. Needless to say, these players' journeys are not over.

So, the Chicago Bears signed about 14 guys as UDFAs. Who are some of the big stand outs?

5. Chicago Bears finally added edge help with Jalen Harris from Arizona

One complaint that a lot of Bears fans walked away from the NFL draft with was the thought that the team did not hit edge rusher. They signed Rasheem Green and DeMarcus Walker in free agency, but that is not enough for this room.

So, one of the more notable names they added was edge rusher, Jalen Harris. At the very least, he is interesting because he is entering one of the weaker rooms on the roster. Harris is taller, and a bit thinner, but he has overall good athleticism, including solid agility, which is valuable for his position.

Jalen Harris is a five-year starter for the Wildcats. He redshirted as a freshman, and he got an extra year of eligibility due to COVID, so this is not the youngest prospect out there. Still, that does come with him posting 2,036 snaps, 671 of them last season. Beyond that, he posted 32 pressures and 21 run stops in 2018, and never really got back to either of those marks. He posted 22 run stops last year, but only 14 pressures, which was 80 more snaps than in 2018.

At least his athletic ability is there to give some intrigue, and he has experience. Still, it is easy to see why he fell to the UDFA pool, and it is a bit disappointing that this may end up being the most promising option that the team sees from all of their edge-rushing rookies.

4. Did Chicago Bears add a tight end who could make the roster in Damien Caffrey?

The Chicago Bears went the small school route when looking to add some depth to their tight end room. They signed UDFA Damien Caffrey, a tight end from Stony Brook, to compete for a roster spot. The good news for Caffrey is that he enters a tight-end room that is not very stacked.

Sure, there is Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan, but after that, there is a real shot at competing for the number three job. He has Jake Tonges and Chase Allen to compete with; they were UDFAs last season.

Caffrey is not the most athletic tight end, but this may be why the team is interested in him specifically.

In the past two years at Stony Brook Caffrey played 1,126 snaps. He was blocking on 831 snaps and only ran 295 routes. He is a blocking tight end first and foremost. This obviously fits the Chicago Bears when you consider that blocking is a weakness for Tonyan.

Cole Kmet is a pretty good blocker, but if he is the best blocking tight end on the roster it will be tough to maximize him in the passing game. One way to get Kmet out in routes more is to have a pure blocking tight end as your number three. When the team needs to go heavy they could have Caffrey stay and block and then send Kmet out into a route.

The fact that he fits, and the reality that he just has two other UDFAs in front of him to make the roster is what makes Caffrey a must-watch player this offseason. We will see if he can catch the Chicago Bears' eyes during the minicamp.

3. Chicago Bears signed safety Macon Clark from Tulane

Tulane took off in 2022 and had an amazing season. It led to some players increasing their draft stock, and one of those names is Macon Clark. Clark is a three-year starter, and a redshirt senior from Tulane. He made the most of his last season with the Green Wave.

Clark had his best season in 2022 and had career highs in snaps, pressures, run stops, and passes defended. Over the course of his career, he played 2,447 snaps with 1,086 in run defense and 1,266 in coverage.

Beyond that, he moved all over the Tulane defense. For his career, he spent 759 snaps in the box, 1,151 snaps in the slot, 474 snaps as a free safety, and then 62 snaps outside as a cornerback. He is a player who can wear a lot of hats.

Macon Clark is not the most athletic player, but at safety, things come down to being able to read and react.

Beyond that, he does have experience on multiple special teams phases over the course of his career. This is what gives him a decent shot at making the roster. The Chicago Bears saw DeAndre Houston-Carson fill a nice role last year, and while Elijah Hicks is expected to step in and fill that role, they still need a depth safety.

The Chicago Bears obviously drafted Kendall Williamson, but Macon Clark will be hot on his tail competing with him every step of the way. One of the top UDFAs is not far behind a seventh-round pick, so this could shape up to be a real competition between the two.

2. Chicago Bears find another UDFA LB in Micah Baskerville

When the Chicago Bears add a UDFA linebacker, ears start to perk up after last year. Now, when that linebacker hails from LSU, fans have to wonder if the team is seeing something Micah Baskerville was a three-year starter at LSU.

He fell to the UDFA ranks mainly because he is undersized. For that small size, he does not have great athletic ability.

Beyond that, Baskerville is actually better coming downhill and attacking in the run game than he is running backward in coverage. If you are an undersized linebacker it usually helps to be better in coverage because the blockers get bigger in the NFL and the assignments get a lot tougher.

This is why a three-year starter from LSU did not get drafted. However, the coaches obviously like the way he diagnoses in the run game, and he does that well. Also, Baskerville played four phases of special teams for the LSU Tigers.

There are times when his lack of change of direction can hurt him on special teams, but one thing you can see for sure is that he is willing to tackle, and is not afraid to throw himself into the fire. This gives him a decent shot at making the roster. Due to his size, it is hard to see the fit, but he will likely compete for Sterling Weatherford for a last roster spot which mainly includes special teams.

1. Did Chicago Bears find a developmental QB with Tyson Bagent?

The Chicago Bears have struggled to find a quarterback for so long, mainly because they never go the path of drafting and developing. This could change with Tyson Bagent from Shepherd.

Obviously, that is a pretty small school, but Bagent ended up with a Senior Bowl invitation, showing that the hype was real and that he has an NFL ability. Bagent completed 68% of his passes at Shepherd and had 159 touchdowns to 48 interceptions. He was a playmaker and does a great job of moving in the pocket and throwing the ball all over the field.

The Chicago Bears met him and worked with him at the Senior Bowl, so that event obviously stuck with them. The reality is that the small school player will likely need a year on the practice squad to adjust to things. Still, the Bears show commitment to him, so they should be able to get him through. After a year of learning, it will be interesting to see if the team can pull anything out of him in 2024. Justin Fields is the future, but his running style could lead to injuries.

Having a quarterback who can move the way that Bagent does and also push the ball down the field would be exactly what the team needs as a backup, if they can turn that out from Tyson Bagent that is a huge win.