Bears undrafted rookies nobody expects to make the 53-man roster who could force Ben Johnson’s hand at training camp
After breaking down the 53-man roster projection ahead of training camp for the Chicago Bears, let’s break down a few UDFAs that missed my cut and could force their way into the final roster.
Earlier this week, I broke down my 53-man roster projection for the Chicago Bears heading into training camp and had some very difficult decisions to make in that process. It’s a testament to the roster depth head coach Ben Johnson has created.
That being said, my 53-man roster projection is far from the final chart. There’s still a lot more to learn about this team throughout training camp, and the preseason, before final cuts occur and you never know who could stand out.
So, let’s break down some of the players that narrowly missed my cut, which happens to be all UDFA rookies.
TE Hayden Large
The team’s UDFA addition out of Iowa has a tough up-hill climb to crack the 53-man roster. But credit Hayden Large for still deciding to sign with Chicago even though the team already had Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, and rookie Sam Roush in the building.
Teams rarely keep four tight ends on the 53-man roster, even for a team that plans to feature a heft dose of 12 and 13 personnel looks. Large, by all accounts, is a great player and ideal fit for this scheme. He’s just simply not going to beat out the other three. However, he’s definitely a player the Bears will look to keep on the practice squad.
“He was one of the guys that we identified well before the draft that he’s a player that we really liked,” Johnson said of Large. “I actually called him before the draft and let him know that we had a vision for him… This is where he wanted to be, and that speaks volumes about how he’s wired. He was a walk-on at Iowa and had to earn playing time and going through a long, hard, road. I really think we got a good one there.”
OL Caden Barnett
The “Vanilla Gorilla” got a lot of attention after going undrafted and signing with the Bears as a UDFA. In Chicago, he’ll be competing for one of the interior depth positions against veteran Jordan McFadden and 2025 sixth-round pick Luke Newman. Truthfully, I believe that battle will be a true toss up.
Barnett is Ben Johnson’s kind of offensive lineman with the attitude that he plays with. I was shocked the Bears even landed him in the first place. If the staff makes the decision to leave him off the final roster, I don’t think they’ll get the chance to bring him back. He might be the 2026 version of Jahdae Walker in that regard.
“I think he plays the game the way we want to play it,” Johnson said of Barnett. “There’s a physical demeanor about him. That’s what stands out first and foremost. I think we got a couple really good offensive line coaches that when we have a guy that has traits like that, that are harder to coach, that you can help clean up the technique and things of that nature. So when the mind’s right, I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff to get the rest of it right.”
RB Coleman Bennett
Chicago’s running back position will be another top battle to watch behind D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai. Roschon Johnson is on thin ice after barely getting any action in 2025, but can play on special teams. Brittain Brown and Salvon Ahmed will also be in contention for that RB3 role. The same goes for Coleman Bennett.
He’s a player that new RBs coach Eric Studesville personally identified in the draft and felt compelled to bring into his room. Preseason production and special teams value will go a long way for deciding that final spot.
“I think that Coach Studesville did a great job identifying a player that’s a darn good football player and instinctive,” Johnson said of Bennett. “He has a knack about him that we like to use this term, trim the fat, and you can kind of see that when he runs the football, he stays tight to his blockers and when you do that, it’s more glancing blows. It’s a skill that translates to this level and so we’re really hopeful that he’ll we’ll be able to see over the course of the [offseason].”
DT Jayden Loving
The Bears loaded up the interior of the defensive line in free agency signing Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, and James Lynch. In the draft, the Bears added a highly-athletic player in Jordan van den Berg. It’s a deep room for an undrafted rookie like Jayden Loving to stand out in heading into training camp.
Yet, Gallimore is really the only veteran that signed a decent contract. Street and Lynch didn’t sign for much and could be pushed off the roster if Loving can prove himself as a player with a higher ceiling. He also secured a deal for himself that included $245,000 in total guarantees including a $20,000 signing bonus, which is a high price for a UDFA.