Ryan Pace prides himself on being thorough. He is never going to leave any stone unturned trying to find talent for the Chicago Bears. This is true both for free agency and the draft. That is why he’s developed a consistent habit of drafting players out of smaller schools over the years. Sometimes higher than a lot of people might expect. It’s happened every year since 2016 with predictably varying degrees of success.

• 2016 – Deiondre Hall (4th round, Northern Iowa)
• 2017 – Adam Shaheen (2nd round, Ashland)
• 2018 – Bilal Nichols (5th round, Delaware)
• 2019 – Stephen Denmark (7th round, Valdosta State)
• 2020 – Kindle Vildor (5th round, Georgia Southern)

With eight picks in the upcoming 2021 draft, it’s a safe bet that Pace is going to swing at a small school prospect at some point. It becomes a matter of figuring out who it will be and when they’ll enter his radar. To that end, the following is a list of names Bears fans should get acquainted with. Not only do they come from smaller schools. They also could potentially fill key needs on the Bears roster, making them even more likely.

Small school prospects Ryan Pace is sure to love

Austin Watkins (WR, UAB)

Being the cousin of Sammy Watkins should be the first indication that football may run in the family. While his production at UAB was solid, Watkins really began to emerge with his performance at the Senior Bowl where he managed to use his mix of size, strength, and underrated route-running prowess to win several battles against bigger school defensive backs. He still has things to learn about the position but his progress is encouraging. Given a little more time, he should be a regular contributor on Sundays.

Spencer Brown (OT, Northern Iowa)

This young man seems to already have the Bears’ attention. They’ve met and/or spoken to him twice since the Senior Bowl at least. It’s not hard to see why either. Though Brown played at Northern Iowa, he had a ton of offers from bigger schools but elected to stay. So don’t be fooled. This isn’t a question of talent. Brown has tons of size, good power, length, and the athletic feet to handle himself in pass protection. Throw in a nice finisher mentality and it’s not hard to see why Chicago is so interested in him.

Giant-sized (6084v, 314v) guys like @UNIFootball OT Spencer Brown (@TooTallo_o) just aren’t supposed to bend & slide like this. Makes it look easy here against one of top pass rushers in 2021 draft. Could make strong case Brown has highest ceiling of any tackle in this class. 🛠 pic.twitter.com/z8l53OHpMC

— Jim Nagy (@JimNagy_SB) February 18, 2021

Tarron Jackson (EDGE, Coastal Carolina)

Coastal Carolina was an unexpected darling of college football last season with their run of success. It was spearheaded by an outstanding defense. One of their leaders was Jackson who led the way with 8.5 sacks and 14 tackles for a loss. Critics will point out his modest size (6’2) and lack of premium burst for a pass rusher. He makes up for it with good strength, adequately long arms, and a relentless motor. If he can’t survive on the edge, he could end up making a solid interior pass rusher.

Robert Rochell (CB, Central Arkansas)

The fact he comes from the same school as Chicago Bulls icon Scottie Pippen is a good start. Rochell is a standout athlete with speed and fluidity to go along with a solid 6’0 frame. He thrives in press coverage and has a keen instinct for reading quarterbacks and baiting them into ill-advised throws. There are various issues he’ll have to work through regarding technique and discipline but nothing that would dissuade Ryan Pace from taking the gamble on him. Perhaps as early as the 3rd round.

Christian Uphoff (S, Illinois State)

It isn’t about physical ability with Uphoff. He has ideal size for a safety at 6’2 to go along with good athleticism and range. He can do almost anything on the field an NFL safety must. His instincts don’t seem to be lacking either. Most of his problems stem from a lack of decisiveness at times. He doesn’t always trust what he sees. Sometimes he’s in the wrong position or takes the wrong tackling angling. These are all correctable with more coaching. In terms of talent? Uphoff can be a starter.