The Chicago Bears had gone according to the script through their first two picks of the 2024 NFL draft. Caleb Williams went #1 overall as most expected. Then they got Rome Odunze at #9, linking up quarterback and wide receiver. It wasn’t until their third pick that things took a turn. GM Ryan Poles selected Yale offensive tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the 3rd round. While he had plenty of fans in the draft community, he wasn’t on the radar of Bears faithful since they felt the team had eyes for a pass rusher.
Yet the genuine shock isn’t that the team took a tackle with that pick. It is that they took Amegadjie. No, it wasn’t because he lacked talent. It was more because he never should’ve been in that spot, to begin with. To understand why, people need to hear the story of how his college career began. Al Netter, the offensive line coach for Yale who helped recruit Amegadjie, had no doubt the young man was gifted. The issue he and every other athlete at the school ran into was COVID-19.
If people thought it was bad for the bigger programs across the country, they have no idea what the smaller ones went through. It was revealed on Meet The Rookies.
Think about that. He went his entire freshman year of college without stepping foot on a practice field. Then, after two years of finally getting on track, he injures his quad and misses most of the 2023 season. To go through all of that and still get drafted in the top 75 is nothing short of miraculous. It is a testament to his talent and ceaseless hard work, not to mention the Bears’ faith in his ability to overcome adversity. That is always something Poles prioritizes with every player he drafts.
One thing is certain. Kiran Amegadjie will come in ready to show everybody that he earned every bit of his spot on the roster. It wasn’t handed to him just because he knows Matt Eberflus or is a local kid from Hinsdale. He overcame more than most typical college athletes do to reach the professional level. He will almost certainly work twice as hard to stay there. Amegadjie could be one of the most interesting names to watch in camp, if only because there is no telling where he could surface on the line.
