Theo Benedet
Chicago BearsModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 15 games
Draft & College
STM Take
Tier 3 (#22) on a first NFL sample from a U Sports UDFA pedigree is the kind of organizational success story the Bears OL coach was hoping for when they signed him. The 25-year-old age plus the Canadian college origin means the developmental ceiling is uncertain; the 2025 finish could be a fluke or a real foundation. The 2026 trajectory depends on whether the role expands or compresses behind Chicago's draft picks.
Benedet came to the NFL from the University of British Columbia (U Sports, Canadian college football) as an undrafted free agent in 2024 with Chicago. He spent his rookie year on the practice squad learning the offensive line system, then earned meaningful starter snaps in 2025 when injuries hit the Bears' OL. The tier 3 (#22) finish on his first NFL ranking is a rare success story for a Canadian college UDFA.
Strengths
- Tier 3 (#22) STTM finish in his first NFL ranking from a U Sports UDFA pedigree is genuinely surprising. The Canadian football pipeline rarely produces immediate NFL contributors.
- Survived to a starter role on the Bears' 2025 offensive line, which Ben Johnson built around protecting Caleb Williams. Pass-protection technique transferred from the Canadian game.
Concerns
- Single-season sample plus the UDFA pedigree from a small-college program means the projection grade is uncertain. One regression season puts him back at the bottom of the depth chart.
- Chicago's interior OL is still being built; if guard play around him falters, the protection load increases in ways the 2025 sample did not test.
What to watch: Whether Benedet retains a starter role for 2026 or whether Chicago's offseason additions compress him back to swing-tackle backup duty.