3 Small School Prospects Bears Should Target in 2024 Draft

In the sprawling machination that is the NFL Draft, certain types of players can fly under the radar. More often than not, it’s smaller colleges – be it Group of 5, FCS, or even DII schools – whose players catch the short end of the stick in evaluation. It’s what leads to guys like Austin Ekeler falling to the seventh round because no matter how much money NFL teams have to hire scouts, few dedicate time to Western Colorado film.

Chicago is exceedingly familiar with smaller school prospects, in past and present. Recent drafts have included players like Tarik Cohen (2017 4th round, North Carolina A&T), Braxton Jones (2022 5th round, Southern Utah), and Tyson Bagent (Undrafted out of Shepherd, 2023) receiving significant playing time.

What makes this draft so intriguing for a team like Chicago is the glut of talent at positions of need. A team that needs offensive tackles, a QB, receivers, and pass rushers is gifted a class that is rich in the first two categories and deep/intriguing in the final.

Amongst them are several players fans should plan to fall in love with once their highlights are played on Day Two and Three. While the Bears aren’t flush with late-round draft capital, a trade back puts any number of these guys in play.

1. Kiran Amegadjie, OT, Yale

Starting our journey in the FCS ranks, Amegadjie looks like the giant standing over Jack on the beanstalk when facing up against his Ivy League peers. At 6’ 5”, 325 pounds, the 22-year-old senior has legitimate NFL tackle size and knows how to use it.

Spending his entire last two seasons on the weakside for the Bulldogs, the Hinsdale native allowed 0 sacks, 1 QB hit, and 9 total hurries over 14 games. The specter hanging over any statistics or measurables is the obvious caveat that dominating Holy Cross edge rushers is not going to resemble NFL pass or run sets. On a similar note, Yale’s roughly 60-40 split in run to pass sets is not going to reflect most NFL offenses, particularly one led by a newly drafted No. 1 pick at quarterback.

Such a wide chasm between the raw talent and competition faced has led Amegadjie to have a volatile draft stock. Outlets like Pro Football Focus have him ranked as high as 57th, while Bleacher Report has him all the way down at 129th – a fifth round pick.

In his support, a player capable of making the FCS-to-pro leap should be dominant even without refined technique. He’s done that. On the other hand, he can get away with over-setting on pass sets or choppy, un-anchored footwork against said opponents and will need good coaching to overcome his current habits.

As good as an athlete as Amegadjie is, teams are wary of developmental tackles that aren’t built even more like Goliath. The Saints took Trevor Penning (just over 6’7’’, 325 pounds) out of Northern Iowa in the 2022 first round, and he is teetering on the precipice of total bust status. I’d be concerned about injuries forcing Amegadjie into a position to play far too soon, but if Chicago wants to upgrade the ends of the line – or gain flexibility to move guys across positions once Amegadjie rounds into form – he’s a strong late Day Two or early Day Three selection.