Three UDFAs Who Could Make the Bears 53-Man Roster

These three Bears’ undrafted free agents have the best chance to make the team.

The NFL Draft is over, and the Chicago Bears did well by selecting five players who are sure to make an impact as rookies. The Draft, though, is only part of the player acquisition process. The rest are undrafted free agents, most of whom are signed within a couple of hours of the Draft’s completion.

The Bears have yet to announce any undrafted signings, but various agents and news services have reported that the Bears have signed at least ten players to UDFA contracts. I evaluated several of these players in the pre-draft process, and I believe three of them stand a good chance of making the 53-man roster following training camp. The three are defensive tackle Keith Randolph Jr. from Illinois, defensive end Jamree Kromah from James Madison, and running back/return specialist Ian Wheeler from Howard.

Keith Randolph Jr.

Randolph was a five-year player at Illinois. He originally enrolled in 2019 and red-shirted. In the Covid-shortened 2020 season, he played in five games as a backup and special teams player. It was during the 2021 season that Keith started to show that he was a solid college player. He started seven of the ten games he played in and had 42 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks. He followed that up with a stronger 2022, starting 12 games with 53 tackles, including 13.0 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. In 2023, his numbers went down slightly, but he was just as effective as a player. He finished the year with 49 total tackles, including 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks.

Randolph has good size for the Bears scheme. At the Combine he measured 6034 – 296 and ran 5.15 in the forty, has 32.75″ arms and an 80.25″ wingspan. He is not a great athlete, but he’s plenty good enough to play in this scheme. On tape, he shows very good snap reaction and the ability to penetrate and disrupt the run game. He has quick and strong hands, and he knows how to use them, showing the ability to get rid of blocks. In the Illinois scheme, he was asked to 2-gap often, and he showed he could hold the point and not give ground. His instincts are very good, and he’s quick to find the ball.

As a pass rusher, he was better in ’21 and ’22, when he recorded 8.5 sacks over the two seasons, which is a good number for an interior defensive lineman. That number was less this past season, but his effort and technique remained the same.

His best fit for the Bears is playing the 1-tech position. In the Bears scheme, a 320-pound nose is not needed, and Randolph’s size and build are excellent. Once he gets into an NFL weight program, he will probably play at about 305.

The Bears have a need at the 1-tech as the only true 1T in Andrew Billings. Last year rookie Zacch Pickins played at the 1T but is really a natural 3T. The Bears would like to keep four defensive tackles, and that would mean that Billings and Randolph would be the 1-techs, with Gervon Dexter and Pickens playing the 3T. With his versatility, Pickens can easily play the 1T if needed.

Veteran Byron Cowart is the only real competition going into camp. Cowart has had his moments in his four years in the League, but inconsistency has been his biggest problem. Randolph must show the coaches that he can be a more reliable player than Cowart to win a job.

Ian Wheeler

Ian Wheeler is one interesting player. He didn’t start at Howard, but he was one of their better big-play guys as a runner, receiver, and especially as a kick returner. For whatever reason, Wheeler did not run well at the HBCU Combine but came back on March 28 at Howard and ran a 4.41 in the 40. He also had a 38.5″ vertical jump and a 10’5″ long jump. At 5097 – 203 he has adequate size. On tape, he looks to have a compact frame with good lower bulk and power. We also see that 4.41 speed several times on returns and long runs.

As I stated above, Wheeler was not a starter at RB but played in a three-man rotation. He finished the season with 52 carries for 380 yards, which is 7.3 yards per carry. As a receiver, he had nine catches for 119 yards. He made his mark as a kickoff returner. This past year, he returned 17 kickoffs for 494 yards, a 29-yard average, and one touchdown. He has returned three kicks for touchdowns for his career, with the long being 96 yards. There is no question he has big play ability.

Granted, his stats as a running back don’t jump out, but when we watch him with the ball in his hands, he is very exciting. Wheeler is quick to the hole and is a slashing type of runner with patience and vision. He runs low and has the ability to break tackles and get yards after initial contact. What I like are his run instincts, as he can find a new opening and burst through it.

As a receiver, I have only seen him run shorter routes, but he catches the ball cleanly and has a quick burst to accelerate after the catch. He has that ability to turn a short pass into a long gain.

For the Bears, he will be a kick returner first, and going into camp, he may be the most talented kickoff returner on the roster. Still, he needs to show that he can be reliable if he has to play at the running back position. Based on what I have seen on tape, it should not be a problem.

Jamree Kromah

Having played at James Madison, Jamree hasn’t gotten any national attention, but his tape is strong. He played both defensive end and defensive tackle at James Madison but will be an end in the NFL. He just doesn’t have the size to hold up playing inside at the NFL level.

Jamree was not at the Combine, but at his Pro Day, he measured 6034 – 274 with 34.5″ arms. He ran 4.77 with a 1.62 10-yard split. His jumps were impressive for a big guy, leaping 10′ in the long jump and 31″ in the vertical. In the Bears scheme, he has good defensive end size.

On tape, Jamree shows very good initial quickness both from the end and tackle spots. His hand use is still a work in progress, but that is not unusual for a player from a smaller school. The traits are there. He flashes quick strong hands, just not on a consistent basis. His production is very good, having been credited with 58 total tackles and ten sacks. The 2023 season was easily a breakout year for Jamree, as his numbers in previous years weren’t close to what he did last year.

Despite being only 273, Kromah shows strength and power at the point. He seldom gives ground and usually gets penetration. He is a disruptor and can be tough to block one-on-one. When rushing the pass, he shows the ability to put moves together and has the bend and lean needed when coming off the edge. A number of his sacks came when he played inside, and he won with his quickness off the ball and his ability to redirect.

Kromah probably is a long shot to make the roster but he will easily be a practice squad guy. That said, he has the traits needed in size, speed, strength and length to play in the NFL. If he shows in camp that the NFL is not too big for him and he competes, he can challenge for a roster spot. His competitive nature on tape is impressive, so I have no doubt it will be fun watching him progress.