LB Power Echols, S Major Burns Lead Bears' UFA Class

Forbes

02-05-2025

BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA - OCTOBER 12: Major Burns #8 of the LSU Tigers celebrates during the third ... More quarter against the Ole Miss Rebels at Tiger Stadium on October 12, 2024 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Gus Stark/LSU/University Images via Getty Images}
Having added major pieces to the offense through the draft, the Bears focused their attention on the defense afterward. Their initial list of undrafted free agents skews heavily to the defense as they search for the next Jack Sanborn.
Sanborn, undrafted after a productive career at Wisconsin, stepped up to play a big role in the rebuilding defense after Roquan Smith was traded to Baltimore midway through the 2022 season. He started 10 games and made 65 tackles in '23 but mostly played off the bench in '24 before General Manager Ryan Poles opted not to tender him a contract as a restricted free agent.
Sanborn is with Dallas now, most likely to be replaced by fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite II. But Poles and rookie head coach Ben Johnson have vowed that all spots on the team must be earned in off-season workouts and training camp, opening the door to competition from the undrafted free agents.
Two jump off the list of 10 in the batch of players signed shortly after the draft concluded on Saturday: linebacker Power Echols (North Carolina) and safety Major Burns (LSU). Here's a look at the class, listed in a rough order of their value:
Echols — A three-year starter who amassed 307 tackles for the Tar Heels, Echols may have been hurt by running a 4.73 40 at the NFL Combine. His estimated athleticism score at the Combine ranked 26th, which his arm length (30 5/8 inches) also hurting his draft stock. But neither the speed or the lack of reach keep him away from ballcarriers, as his 190 solo tackles rank 15th in the ACC since 2005.
His profile is eerily similar to Sanborn, who also ran a 4.73 40 and ranked 24th in athleticism among linebackers in his Combine class. Echols is 5-11, the same height as Hyppolite. But Hyppolite ran a 4.39 at Maryland's pro day.
Burns — Originally signed by the University of Georgia, the 6-3 safety transferred early enough to make a big impact in four seasons with LSU. He was an instant starter in Baton Rouge and a team leader. Burns was credited with a team-high 93 tackles in 2023, returning one interception for a touchdown.
He's not the fastest pass defender, running a 4.51 40 at LSU's Pro Day, but can use his strong legs and leaping ability to recover. His 37 1/2-inch vertical leap was better than all but five defensive backs at the NFL Combine.
Edge Xavier Carlton, Cal — Carlton spent three years in Berkeley after two at the University of Utah. He was a consistent harasser of quarterbacks, with 55 pressures in 2023 and nine sacks in '24. He's got a great build for the job (6-6, 275) but lacks speed (5.08 40) and subtlety. One scouting report calls him a 'power rusher who looks to bull his way to pressures.'
Edge Jereme Robinson, Kansas — He's smaller (6-3, 255) and quicker (4.83 40) than Carlton but wasn't as productive in college. He did show consistent improvement, with 22 tackles, 5 1/2 sacks and two forced fumbles as a senior. He played with fellow edge rusher Austin Booker, a Bears' fifth-round pick in 2023, as a junior. There's an opportunity for Carlton or Robinson to earn a spot on the 53-man roster, as the Bears didn't draft an edge rusher.
Wide receiver JP Richardson, TCU — No need for him to apologize for being the No. 3 option for the Horned Frogs last season; the first two were Jack Bech (second round, Raiders) and Savion Williams (third round, Packers). More of a possession receiver from the slot than a downfield threat, Richardson is also a proven punt returner. He took one 89 yards for a touchdown last season. His father is Bucky Richardson, who played quarterback for the Houston Oilers. Looks like an interesting guy for Johnson and the Bears' new offensive coordinator, Declan Doyle.
Safety Tysheem Johnson, Oregon — A freakishly mature player who was all-state in Pennsylvania as a freshman at Philadelphia's Neumann Gorall High, he split a four-year career evenly between Ole Miss and Oregon. He had 262 career tackles and six interceptions, including three last season. He can be a play-maker but at 5-10 is under-sized and will be challenged by NFL receivers.
Long snapper Luke Elkin, Iowa — Former Lion Scott Daly would appear to be in a good place after replacing Bears' long-time snapper Patrick Scales last season. But maybe there's thought Tory Taylor could have had a better rookie season with better snaps? it's hard for a collegiate snapper to be more reliable than Elkin, who handled all of the Hawkeyes' deep snaps for three years.
Kicker Jonathan Kim, Michigan State — Cairo Santos seems secure, both a contract that runs through 2027 and an 89.3 success rate on field goals in six years in Chicago. But kickers can be quirky and Poles wants to create an uncomfortable camp for everyone, apparently. Kim was 19 of 21 on field goals in 2024 and hit a 58-yarder in '23. He handled kickoffs for three years at North Carolina before moving to East Lansing. If he doesn't land a spot, he could be worth a future draft pick from someone.
Wide receiver Jahdae Walker — At 6-4 with 4.45 speed, he's all about his tools. Walker wasn't consistent in his two years at Texas A&M, however. He had three 100-yard games as a junior but seemed to lose confidence of the play callers last season, catching only 29 passes in 13 games Walker started his college career at Grand Valley State after failing to catch recruiting buzz at Cleveland's Shaker Heights High.
Deion Hankins, Texas State — The Bears need inventory at running back but nothing in Hankins' background obviously moves the needle. He played four years at UTEP, in his hometown of El Paso, Tex., and one at Texas State, never rushing for 1,000 yards. At 6-0, 215 pounds, he's a power runner who averaged 4.7 yards per carry but never figured as a three-down back.