Ledarius Mack Made a Bold Decision For Chance to Play With Big Brother

It was one of the best stories of the offseason. The Chicago Bears, already employing superstar Khalil Mack, decided to roll the dice on signing his younger brother Ledarius Mack as an undrafted free agent. Like his big brother, Ledarius had to earn his way onto the field at the University of Buffalo but quickly became a stalwart on defense. He was both a team captain and one of their best pass rushers.

He finished 2019 with 11 tackles for a loss and seven sacks. A notable step up from his previous year. One would think he'd be given an opportunity to play the same position as Khalil, right? Sadly, that is not the case. Not because Ledarius lacks prowess at the job. It is more about simple measurement. He is just too small to be an effective edge rusher in the NFL. Though listed at 6'1 in college, belief is he's actually closer to 5'11.

Since 2000, only two players standing 6'0 or less managed to become serviceable pass rushers in the NFL. They were Elvis Dumervil and Arthur Moats. Not great odds for the younger Mack.

This is why Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times is hearing a position switch is coming.

Buffalo listed Ledarius as 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, but ESPN analyst Rene Ingoglia estimated he’s probably 2 inches shorter and 5-10 pounds lighter. That’s a big difference from Khalil at 6-foot-3, 269, and it’s unlikely Ledarius will continue playing as edge rusher like he did in college.

Instead, his path will be as a traditional linebacker who can drop into coverage and as a special teamer. He played special teams both seasons at Buffalo. Leipold said multiple NFL teams inquired about his ability to play fullback as well.

“His size probably held him back from being drafted, but you see the work ethic, the effort and all those things he brought to our program,” Leipold said. “He just kept getting better. I know the NFL is not necessarily into developing players, but he has not come close to reaching his ceiling yet — and he has the drive and the work ethic to achieve that. There’s a lot more that’s still gonna come his way.”

Ledarius Mack is probably making the right decision

The good news is Mack isn't venturing into unfamiliar territory. He actually started his college career at inside linebacker for Buffalo before being switched to the edge rusher position. So he won't be starting completely from scratch. Even better, this decision means the competition won't quite be as fierce in terms of his chances at making the final roster.

Chicago just got done overhauling the outside linebacker spot with Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson. Not to mention signing Barkevious Mingo in free agency. There was little hope of him beating out any of those guys for a spot. On the other hand, the Bears lost two key reserves at inside linebacker in Nick Kwiatkoski and Kevin Pierre-Louis. The only addition they made the entire offseason to that position is fellow undrafted free agent Rashad Smith.

So Mack has far better odds of making an impression at inside linebacker. It will be fun to see how he handles the transition.