Ledarius Mack was signed by the Chicago Bears back in the spring. Most people figured why that was. He’s the brother of superstar Khalil Mack. What better way to keep him happy than getting to play with his little brother? However, here’s the thing about Khalil. He’s insisted for years that Ledarius is a damn good football player in his own right. The University of Buffalo needed his recommendation to even consider the idea of bringing the kid in. Then they realized the big brother wasn’t lying.

People always focus on the stats but it was clear right away that Mack’s arrival had an impact. In 2017, a year before he arrived? Buffalo ranked 71st in total defense. His first season on the field part-time in 2018, they jumped to 37th. Then last year, with him a full-time starter, they jumped all the way to 7th. Mack was their best player with seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, and a fumble recovered for a touchdown.

He may not have the pure physical gifts of his older brother, but this Mack can impact games too.

Ledarius Mack has a future in Chicago if he’s patient

The big issue facing Mack is finding where he fits. At 5’11, it’s almost impossible to see him playing outside linebacker for this team. Bigger tackles would swallow him whole. This is why there is speculation the team may move him to inside linebacker. There his size wouldn’t be as big of an issue and his downhill playing style would still be of considerable use.

Whether he can turn that into success depends on how he embraces the switch. It typically takes a young player one or two years to get a new position figured out. It’s not like Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith are going anywhere. So odds are Mack might end up spending his first year on the practice squad. That is unless he showcases some prowess on special teams.

This isn’t a bad thing. Many undrafted players have gone from practice squad to starting before. The kid has the genetics to become a contributor for this team. If he’s patient.