Charles Snowden should’ve been drafted. Most evaluators with any credibility made that clear. Projections had the Virginia pass rusher going anywhere from the 3rd round to the 6th. Either way, his talent and productivity are almost always enough to get your name called in the draft. So for him to go undrafted was a considerable shock. Both to him and many people who’d watched him. Including the Chicago Bears scouts and front office.
Snowden himself can’t comprehend how things went down. He explained as much to Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. The rookie admits he’d expected to get drafted at some point. When it wasn’t, it was a major shock and disappointing. Then again, it’s not something he is unfamiliar with. Being overlooked has become a staple of his football career.
“I’m not sure really what happened,” Snowden said earlier this month during the team’s rookie minicamp at Halas Hall. “I was kind of upset for a day but now [I’m] just facing the reality of the situation. I had one scholarship offer coming out of [high school], so I’m used to kind of being the underdog, kind of being put in those positions. But now I’ve got a great opportunity, and I’m just excited to work.”
Snowden didn’t have long to mourn.
Right after the draft ended, the phone calls began. Being one of the most talented players to not be picked, it’s a safe bet he had plenty of teams making offers. However, Snowden wasn’t one to string things out. Less than a half-hour after the draft concluded, word came out that he’d reached an agreement with the Bears. While communication between the two sides wasn’t extensive, Snowden loved what he heard. When he got their call, he was thrilled.
“We had spoken a couple times,” Snowden said. “It wasn’t too extensive, but I was extremely excited when they reached out after the draft.”
It was viewed as a major victory for the Bears. Most rankings had Snowden among the top five undrafted players available. To get him was a positive development, especially in the long term. Age is catching up to the defense at outside linebacker with Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn in their 30s. If Snowden can unlock his full potential? The team may have a replacement for one of them within the next year or two.
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Chicago Bears have had success with undrafted players
Bryce Callahan, Roy Robertson-Harris, and Sam Mustipher are just a couple of examples. Snowden has as much or even more talent than all of them. A common comparison for him is former Bears outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. Both exhibit a long, thinner build was explosive athleticism. Also like Floyd, Snowden appears to be a better run defender than pass rusher at the point. It took the former a few years before he finally learned to consistently drop quarterbacks.
The same could prove true for Snowden. His first order of business is to add more mass. He reportedly weighs around 243 lbs during the pre-draft process. He’ll want to get above 250 if he’s going to handle NFL tackles. Then it becomes about mastering his craft as a pass rusher. Learning out to utilize different modes of hand usage and having a plan for every snap. The Chicago Bears will do everything they can to help him.
It won’t be easy though.
There is a lot of competition at outside linebacker this year. Behind Mack and Quinn, the Bears added solid veteran Jeremiah Attaochu as a free agent. They also have former 5th round pick Trevis Gipson and steady reserve James Vaughters in the mix as well. So Snowden has a lot of work to do if he is going to crack the main roster. The good news is he’ll have a preseason this year. A benefit that wasn’t afforded to undrafted players in 2020.