Former Chicago Bears Scout Pinpoints Their Best Undrafted Signing

If the Chicago Bears are going to take a step forward in 2023, it would help if they got contributions from somebody in their 16-man undrafted free agent class. Last year was fruitful for the team, with guys like Jack Sanborn, Josh Blackwell, and Jaylon Jones all stepping up. It offered some hope that GM Ryan Poles had a good for such a notoriously tough market. They cast the net wide this year, too, hoping to land somebody with upside. Time will tell if they succeeded.

In such situations, it's best to lean on those who have worked the undrafted market before. Greg Gabriel spent years as a scout for the Bears doing exactly that. He was part of the front office that helped add guys like Cameron Worrell, Rashied Davis, and Mario Addison. So he joined the Barroom Network to evaluate the names Chicago added following this year's draft. When asked to assess who stood out to him the most, the first name Gabriel mentioned was big Pitt offensive tackle, Gabe Houy.

Houy can be a major score for the Chicago Bears if healthy.

The general consensus is Houy probably would've been drafted had he decided to come out of college in 2022. He'd just completed a standout year helping quarterback Kenny Pickett cement his status as a 1st round pick. However, the young tackle chose to stay in school for another year. That decision proved costly as Houy missed multiple games with injuries. Teams weren't willing to risk a draft pick on somebody with uncertain health. Their loss could be the Bears' gain if such issues were isolated.

One thing is for sure. Houy stood out constantly on tape when healthy. He has power, good anchor, and functional footwork. His technique is solid. Best of all, he plays with a consistent level of violence. While he is unlikely to replace Braxton Jones or Darnell Wright, the swing tackle spot appears to be up for grabs. Larry Borom is the current favorite to hold that job. A good showing in training camp by Houy could change everything. It isn't about ability with him. It's about availability.