Bears Late-Round Draft Picks and UDFAs Who Have Best Shot to Make the Roster

The Chicago Bears have two late-round picks and a slew of undrafted free-agent signings. Here's a look at who out of that group will make the cut.

Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Keyshaun Elliott. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

With the dust having settled from the 2026 NFL Draft, it's now time to take a deeper dive into the Chicago Bears' class until we see the group on the practice field for the first time at rookie minicamp.

According to the schedule released by the NFL, the Bears could hold their rookie minicamp from May 1-4, or from May 8-11. As of this writing, it doesn't look like that has been finalized yet.

Whenever it is, rookie minicamp is going to give us our first look at the Bears' rookie class, which will consist of the seven draft picks and even more undrafted free agents the team has signed. That will also be the first step for making the initial 53-man roster in August and possibly carving out a role during the season.

Chicago's picks in the first four rounds should be locked in, but the later you go with draft picks, the more the deck is stacked against rookies making the cut. Undrafted free agents have the steepest climb of all rookies.

With that in mind, here's a look at the Bears' late-round picks and undrafted free agents with the best chance to make the roster.

LB Keyshaun Elliott

Arizona State Sun Devils linebacker Keyshaun Elliott. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The Bears carried five linebackers on their initial 53-man roster in 2025 and we'd expect that to be the case once again this season.

The Bears are currently sporting nine linebackers are their roster, but the only players we would consider locks are Devin Bush, T.J. Edwards and D'Marco Jackson.

After a brutal rookie season, Ruben Hyppolite is vulnerable, Noah Sewell is coming off a torn Achilles suffered in Week 17 and may not be ready for the start of the season, and Nephi Sewell, Jack Sanborn and Dominique Hampton aren't locks.

We see Elliott making the cut as a depth piece and special teams contributor in 2026.

DL Jordan van den Berg

Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg. | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Bears have a very crowded defensive line group going into OTAs, but van den Berg offers a few things those players don't.

For starters, van den Berg's most intriguing asset is athleticism. The Georgia Tech product sports a ridiculous 9.9 Relative Athletic Score (out of 10), which is absurd for a 310-pound lineman.

He also showed he has the chops to be an impact run defender after posting an impressive 79.5 Pro Football Focus run defense grade last season, and he improved as a pass-rusher with three sacks a personal-best total for him.

Those numbers are particularly intriguing for a Bears team that desperately needs to get better up the middle when it comes to run defense and getting after the quarterback.

He may not have much of a role in his first season, but van den Berg will show enough to earn himself a spot on the roster.

OL Caden Barnett (UDFA)

Wyoming Cowboys offensive tackle Caden Barnett. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Barnett was one of the Bears' priority undrafted free agents, with the team inking him to a massive UDFA contract worth $277,500 that includes a signing bonus of $30,000, per reports.

But it isn't just about the money with Barnett. He offers versatility with his ability to play guard and tackle, and he's got the athletic profile Chicago is looking for with a 9.54 RAS. Look for the Wyoming product to crack the 53-man group.