This Undrafted Free Agent is Guaranteed to Make the Bears

Maryland linebacker Keandre Jones
Maryland linebacker Keandre Jones / G Fiume/Getty Images

The Chicago Bears had a limited amount of draft capital in late April, and bizarrely used their first selection on Notre Dame tight end Cole Kmet, but the picks of players like Utah cornerback Jaylon Johnson show that Ryan Pace has a knack for finding mid-round talent.

Given how the Bears didn't have a large quantity of picks, some of their many undrafted free agents could make the roster, with Maryland linebacker Keandre Jones having the best chance at sticking.

The former 5-star recruit played sparingly in three seasons at Ohio State, and transferred to Maryland after he amassed just 29 tackles. In College Park, Jones finally showed the pro scouts he could play, amassing 73 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks despite a poor defense around him.

Jones is frequently caught out of position in coverage and is as raw as they come on the mental processing end of things given the limited playing time, but linebackers who weigh 230 and can rush from the edge as well as he can and sift through blockers between tackles to stop the run will always make NFL rosters. He could be an ideal backup for Roquan Smith on the inside.

Jones never really lived up to the hype in college, but his brief stint with the Terrapins showed glimpses of the premium athlete he is. Chicago could keep him around for linebacker depth as they work on improving the less savory parts of his game.