While most of the attention on the Chicago Bears rookie minicamps from May 3rd to the 5th was on the kickers, it was an important event for other players too. It represented the only chance many of them would have to make the roster. After the dust had settled, three young men received contracts. Among them was a relative unknown named Jalen Dalton.
For some context, he was a defensive tackle for North Carolina from 2015 to 2018. During his final two years there, he made 50 tackles (13.5 for a loss) and collected 6.5 sacks. At face value, those seem like modest numbers. That's why it is important to remember that Dalton accomplished that in only 16 games. He missed seven with injury setbacks.
Not bad under the circumstances. Even so, he wasn't drafted this year. So after failing to land an undrafted free agent contract, he accepted a tryout with the Bears. Three days later he was signed. Anybody who had a chance to watch some of his highlights will understand why. He almost certainly reminded them of Roy Robertson-Harris.
Jalen Dalton showed similar freaky athleticism to the Chicago Bears
Everybody should remember the famous clip that got Robertson-Harris noticed in the first place. While playing for UTEP the big 6'6, 260-lbs defensive end ran down a running back 90 yards down the field to prevent a touchdown. It was one of the craziest displays of athleticism for a big man seen in a long time.
Crazy as it sounds, Dalton produced an eerily similar highlight. In a game against Louisville, running back Malik Williams broke loose at the 12-yard line and began racing down the field towards what looked like a sure touchdown. Then out of nowhere a huge blue jersey came streaking into view to force him out of bounds. That was Dalton.
Keep in mind? He's 6'6, 300 lbs.
Williams is 84 lbs lighter than Dalton and that didn't seem to matter. The big defensive tackle tracked him down all the same. This isn't all he was known for though. Dalton's tape shows a player with plenty of upper and lower body strength. Not to mention long arms to drive blockers back into the pocket, making life difficult for quarterbacks.
Robertson-Harris only had four sacks his final two years of college, and he played seven more games than Dalton did. Could it be the Bears have found another such hidden gem? There's no way to know, but the fact he played his way into a roster spot is the first good sign.
