Last year proved one thing about this Chicago Bears regime. They will give opportunities to everybody on the roster. It doesn’t matter if they’re a 1st round pick or an undrafted free agent. No fewer than five undrafted rookies, including Jack Sanborn and Josh Blackwell, logged snaps for the Bears defense last year. Both played far better than expected. One can imagine this encouraged head coach Matt Eberflus and his staff to be open-minded about giving other incoming UDFAs a chance to prove themselves.
The first to make a splash was defensive end D’Anthony Jones from Houston. He reportedly had three sacks in one practice, showcasing what made him such a danger for the Cougars in college despite his shorter stature. It didn’t take long for another undrafted rookie to make his presence felt. Bralen Trahan, a safety from Louisiana-Lafayette, came up with not one but two interceptions during drills, including a timely swipe of Justin Fields in the end zone during a two-minute drill.
Anybody familiar with Trahan from his college days wouldn’t be surprised.
He’s a ballhawk. He racked up 13 interceptions and two forced fumbles during his long career for the Ragin’ Cajuns. For those wondering why he didn’t get drafted, it’s a simple explanation. He’s already 24 years old and came in with questions about his speed. Teams don’t like older prospects with perceived athletic limitations. That said, Trahan has good size, excellent instincts, and plays with that hard-nosed edge the Bears look for in their players. He isn’t afraid to throw his weight around when tackling.
It seems fitting that Trahan ended up with the Chicago Bears. Arguably the greatest Louisiana-Lafayette alum of all time, Charles Tillman, played for them. He, too, had questions about his speed coming out of college but made up for it with his insane ball skills. Trahan won’t be challenging for a starting job anytime soon. Still, it’s evident he has talents worth keeping around. His big thing will be showing he can contribute to special teams alongside Elijah Hicks as a backup.
This young man is worth watching.
