#Bears UDFA Caden “Vanilla Gorilla” Barnett may have killed a man before
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Head coach Ben Johnson of the Chicago Bears speaks to the media after Chicago Bears OTA Offseason Workout at Halas Hall on June 03, 2025 in Lake Forest, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
From Jack Sanborn to Theo Benedet to Jahdae Walker, the Chicago Bears have found several impactful undrafted free agents in recent years — and they may have added an intriguing name to that list after the conclusion of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Bears are signing former Wyoming guard Caden Barnett to an undrafted free agent contract that includes $277,500 in total guarantees and a $30,000 signing bonus, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin reported.
As Jacob Infante of Windy City Gridiron noted, Barnett has a “genuine chance” to make the team’s 53-man roster.
Barnett’s new UDFA contract with Chicago puts him among the highest-paid undrafted players from the 2026 class, and while that’s no guarantee he’ll make the team, it does show how valuable the Bears view him compared to other undrafted players.
#Bears UDFA Caden “Vanilla Gorilla” Barnett may have killed a man before
Nicknamed “The Vanilla Gorilla,” Barnett was a three-year starter at Wyoming who finished his career with 35 starts — 23 at right tackle and 12 at right guard. He moved inside full-time as a senior in 2025 and earned second-team All-Mountain West honors at that spot.
At 6-foot-4 and 316 pounds, Barnett was widely viewed as a Day 3 selection. Pro Football Network’s Ian Cummings projected him to the Washington Commanders at No. 209 overall in a late-March mock draft, while A to Z Sports labeled him a fifth-round target heading into the weekend.
Pro Football Focus gave Barnett a 71.3 overall grade and a 73.2 run-blocking grade, which ranked 45th out of 686 qualifying guards. He allowed one sack and 18 total pressures across 792 total snaps and was flagged just four times last season.
Barnett tested better than expected at his Wyoming pro day, running the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds, also netting a 31-inch vertical, a 4.63 short shuttle and a 7.65-second three-cone, per Sports Illustrated’s Justin Melo. The Justin, Texas, native parlayed his film into an East-West Shrine Bowl invite, where evaluators highlighted his physicality in pass protection.
Caden Barnett is a OG prospect in the 2026 draft class. He scored a 9.54 RAS out of a possible 10.00. This ranked 82 out of 1780 OG from 1987 to 2026. t.co/i0veMO2c25
Barnett’s experience at right guard, right tackle and potentially center gives general manager Ryan Poles some versatile interior depth. Iowa center Logan Jones, the team’s second-round pick at No. 57 overall and the reigning Rimington Trophy winner, projects as the long-term anchor up front. It’ll be fascinating to see how O-line coach Dan Roushar utilizes Barnett, who has all the traits of an old school offensive lineman.
“I definitely think I’m an interior player. Whether that’s at guard or center, I have the versatility needed to play all three. I’m very versatile that way. If I need to bail us out of a jam, I believe I can play tackle in a pinch, if needed,” Barnett told Melo before the draft, adding:
“I like to punch somebody in the mouth right off the ball. That’s how I play the game. That’s my style of play. I always say I was meant to play football in the 1980s or 1990s. That’s the era of football where you could really let it loose (laughs). That’s what I’m meant to do.”
“He’s super mean in the trenches,” Infante also noted about the Bears new OL. The Bears could always use more meanness on the O-line.
Barnett and the rest of Chicago’s UDFA class will report to Halas Hall for rookie minicamp, scheduled for either May 1-4 or May 8-11.
Beth Mishler-Elmore Beth Mishler-Elmore is a Heavy sports contributor based in the Midwest, focusing on the NFL, NBA and WNBA. More about Beth Mishler-Elmore
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