Stop for a second and ponder this question. If somebody asked you who the most like Chicago Bears undrafted free agent to make the 53-man roster is, who would it be? Odds are most people would choose wide receiver Emanuel Hall. The wide receiver out of Missouri certainly comes in with plenty of talent to validate that idea.
He’s 6’2 and brings 4.39 vertical speed with him. He was productive in college despite multiple injury setbacks and the loss of his father to drug overdose. Many draft experts had a 3rd or even 2nd round grade on him. His upside is enormous if harnessed correctly.
Amazing as it sounds, he wasn’t the choice for Brad Kelly of The Draft Network. On his list of every team and the most likely undrafted player to make their roster, he went a different direction. Though he stayed on offense. His choice was Notre Dame guard Alex Bars. The reasoning?
Less competition and a connection to a coach on the staff.
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“This should be Emanuel Hall, but the Bears wide receiver room is incredibly stacked right now. Chicago didn’t draft any offensive lineman but signed Bars to reunite him with offensive line coach Harry Hiestand.”
Chicago Bears undrafted free agent Alex Bars isn’t just a backup
Time and again it’s been proven that luck decides whether a player gets drafted or not. For Bars, luck wasn’t on his side in 2018. He suffered a knee injury that ended his season. That was enough to cool his stock to the point where he fell out of the draft. This despite high praise for his game. Kelly’s colleague Kyle Crabbs gave him a 3rd round grade.
“Alex Bars, health willing, projects well as a potential starting offensive guard at the NFL level. Bars’ physicality and power at the POA shine bright in gap/power concepts and he was the needed tenacity to press through contact and uproot even the heaviest of anchors.”
One must also not forget his deep connection to Bears offensive line coach Harry Hiestand. Before returning to Chicago, he held the same job at Notre Dame. He was the one who helped recruit and develop Bars in the first place. Combine that with the young man’s character (team captain), nastiness, and a thin depth chart at guard.
This makes logical sense.
