The Best Late-Round Steals in Chicago Bears History (And Why They Slipped)

The Bears are one of the league's most storied franchises. They own the honorable distinction of being the team with the most Hall of Fame inductees (32 to 41, depending on the criteria regarding how long a player spends with an organization).

A few of those Hall of Famers began their career with relatively low expectations. They joined the team as late-round selections, or even occasionally weren't drafted at all.

With the 2026 NFL Draft right around the corner, I thought it would be fun to look into some of the greatest Bears' draft picks of all time. I hit the best second-round selections in franchise history on Monday, and decided to also look into some of their best late-round gems.

Also, I decided not to include undrafted players on this list. Jay Hilgenberg, who made seven Pro Bowls on the interior of Chicago's offensive line throughout the 80s, and Robbie Gould, their all-time leading scorer, both would be deserving of a place on the list if I had gone that route.

I also don't really consider the fourth and fifth rounds to be "late". There are a few different opinions on the subject, but the third through fifth rounds should be considered middle rounds, in my opinion. That removed safeties Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos from consideration on this list.

George Blanda, 119th pick (12th round) in the 1949 NFL Draft

George Blanda on the field — Jan 14, 1968; Miami,, FL, USA; FILE PHOTO; Oakland Raiders kicker George Blanda (16) against the Green Bay Packers during Super Bowl II at the Orange Bowl. The Packers defeated the Raiders 33-14. Mandatory Credit: Dick Raphael-Imagn Images | Dick Raphael-Imagn Images

The Bears drafted George Blanda to play quarterback and kicker in the 12th round of the 1949 NFL Draft. He fell so far in the draft due to playing in a run-heavy offense at the University of Kentucky. It's easy to forget that he began his career with Chicago (and that's not only the case because he got drafted nearly 80 years ago). Blanda is most remembered for his time with the Oilers and Raiders later in his career, but he actually spent the first ten years of his career with the Bears.

Blanda is one of only two players in NFL history (the other is kicker John Carney) to play in four different decades (the 40s to the 70s). He didn't see eye to eye with George Halas during his time in Chicago, but Papa Bear still deserves credit for taking a chance on him. Blanda became a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1981.

Joe Fortunato, 80th pick (7th round) in the 1952 NFL Draft

Joe Fortunato was easily the highest-drafted player on this list, but the seventh round is still the seventh round. He was a standout linebacker and running back for Mississippi State University, but somehow managed to fall through the cracks.

The Bears were presumably happy to scoop Fortunato up when they did, and they were even more pleased to see him go on to make five Pro Bowls during his time in Chicago. The fact that he played 155 of 156 possible games in his career after making his debut in 1955 (due to military obligations) is even more impressive. Fortunato spent 14 years in Chicago and was one of their most underrated players throughout his tenure. He and Bill George were one of the league's premier linebacker duos throughout the 60s.

Harlon Hill, 174th pick (15th round) in the 1954 NFL Draft

Harlon Hill was far from the NFL's radar ahead of the 1954 NFL Draft. He didn't receive much attention at Florence State University and was reportedly surprised when the Bears decided to pull the trigger on him.

No one might've known his name before the draft, but it certainly didn't take them long to learn it. Hill set a rookie franchise record for receiving yards (1,124) and touchdown catches (12). The latter mark also led the league. While Mike Ditka tied the receiving TD record seven years later, the receiving yards record still stands to this day. Hill one-upped the standout performance by being named the NFL MVP after leading the league in touchdowns (9) once again in 1955. He made three Pro Bowls during his seven years in Chicago and is still second on their all-time receiving list.

Johnny Morris, 137th pick (12th round) in the 1958 NFL Draft

The only reason Harlon Hill is second on the all-time receiving list is that receiver Johnny Morris ranks first on it. With 5059 career receiving yards (a shockingly low number for an all-time leader, but that's a disappointing story for another day), he has just over 400 more than Hill. Much like his teammate, virtually no one had their eyes on Morris coming out of college from UC Santa Barbara. In fact, Morris probably wouldn't have even caught George Halas's eye if his college coach, Ed Cody, hadn't previously played for Chicago.

Cody did Halas a favor by tipping him off on Morris, who he wound up selecting in the 12th round when he didn't want to risk someone else unearthing him before the draft was in the books. It took Morris some time to gain his footing, but he developed into one of the league's premier receivers later in his career. He set an NFL record that stood for 20 years after putting up 93 catches in 1964. He also led the league in receiving yards (1,200) and touchdowns (10) that season, and became only the sixth player to win the receiver triple crown in the process.

Richard Dent, 203rd pick (8th round) in the 1983 NFL Draft

Richard Dent at his Hall of Fame Enshrinement — August 3, 2011; Canton, OH, USA; Richard Dent poses with his bust at the 2011 Pro Football Hall of Fame enshrinement at Fawcett Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images | Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

Richard Dent not only came from a small school at Tennessee State, but teams also had concerns about his size, as he weighed in around 230 pounds ahead of the draft. Those concerns caused him to fall to the eighth round of the 1983 NFL Draft. Dent became a game-changer the following year and never looked back, continuing his dominance throughout his first 11 years in Chicago.

Dent also went on to become one of the most prolific pass-rushers in NFL history. He is tied for 11th all-time with 137.5 sacks. It's safe to say that Dent would've gone much sooner than the 203rd pick of the 1983 NFL Draft if teams had any inkling of what he'd become. He is one of the biggest draft steals in NFL history, and he's got a Hall of Fame bust to show for it. The Bears committed an absolute highway robbery with this one, and they weren't done...

Mark Bortz, 219th pick (8th round) in the 1983 NFL Draft

The Bears were on the weirdest otherworldly run in NFL history in the EIGHTH ROUND of the 1983 NFL Draft. They selected Iowa guard Mark Bortz 16 picks after drafting Dent, and he became a cornerstone along their offensive line for the next 12 years. Much like Dent, Bortz also fell in the draft due to being slightly undersized at 282 pounds. Notably, they also landed two other starters along the line in the same draft class, Tom Thayer and Jim Covert.

Bortz made two Pro Bowls during his time in Chicago. He started 155 games over 12 seasons with the Bears and was a consistent force on the interior.

Charles Leno, 246th pick (7th round) in the 2014 NFL Draft

Charles Leno Jr. on the field — December 23, 2018; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Chicago Bears offensive tackle Charles Leno (72) during the fourth quarter against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

I had to include one semi-recent Bear. Charles Leno was a rock-solid starter at Boise State, but there were concerns around his strength and overall skills in pass-protection when he was coming out of college in 2014. Those concerns eventually led to him falling to the seventh round, where the Bears scooped him up with the 246th pick.

Leno might not always have gotten the respect he deserved, but he was an absolute steal. He took over the starting left tackle job in his second season and didn't miss a single start over the next six seasons. Leno was selected to the lone Pro Bowl of his career in 2018 and remains a starting-caliber left tackle entering his age-34 season in 2026.

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