Jahdae Walker 2.0? How A UFL Transfer Is Taking Over Bears Training Camp

Last year, the wide receiver Jahdae Walker became the darling of the Chicago Bears training camp. An undrafted free agent out of Texas A&M, most didn’t expect much from him. He ended up putting in good work during practice and carried that over to the preseason, earning himself a roster spot. All of it culminated in that magic moment against the Green Bay Packers, catching a game-tying touchdown on 4th down to force overtime. Now he’s looking more and more like a fixture on the roster for this team.

Unsurprisingly, people wondered if the Bears could somehow do it again. Could they pluck someone from obscurity and turn them into a real contributor? Early signs from training camp suggest they may have found such a candidate.

Kaden Davis was a late addition to the roster, arriving on June 16th after a tryout with the team. Before that, he played in the United Football League for the Houston Gamblers. There, he primarily served as a kick returner. Davis has a well-traveled career thus far. He was an undrafted free agent in 2022 out of Northwest Missouri State. Since then, he’s had stints with the Denver Broncos, Michigan Panthers, Arizona Cardinals, Detroit Lions, Cleveland Browns, and the Gamblers. To date, his only work in the NFL outside of the preseason was a couple of kick returns in Cleveland.

Davis is even more of a long shot than Jahdae Walker.

Walker was plucked straight out of college by the Bears. They had a clear plan for him from the start. Davis was more of a mystery. Knowledge of his capabilities was minimal, given his journeyman career and overall lack of usage. Even his college output was somewhat odd. He only had one standout year in 2021 with 714 yards and 10 touchdowns. The most notable trait about him was his speed. He was clocked at 4.44 ahead of the 2022 draft, which fit with his return man abilities.

So, how serious a threat is he to make this roster? The Bears are not nearly as depleted at wide receiver as they’ve been in years past. Rome Odunze, Luther Burden, and Kalif Raymond make up your likely starting three. Then you have 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker himself, both likely getting spots. That leaves one remaining spot open. Most believe veteran Scotty Miller is the favorite to take it. Based on updates from Halas Hall, it sounds like Davis is challenging that assumption.

Davis does have one advantage.

Unlike Walker last season, he brings considerable special teams experience with him. Much of that comes as a kick returner, but he’s also played as a gunner in coverage. That could give him a decisive edge in the competition with Miller and others. This, of course, presumes his early success on offense persists through the rest of August. He is certainly an easy person to root for. Many players would’ve stepped away from football long ago, discouraged at their lack of opportunities.

Davis has stayed the course, fighting every year to keep his dream alive. Could this be his breakthrough moment? Time will tell. Sometimes it takes players a few years to get established. People forget that Davis had limited experience in college, and he came from a smaller school. He was always a project. The problem was that he didn’t have the cushion of being a high draft pick to give him the time he needed. Maybe the Bears caught the receiver at the right moment.