Jack Sanborn continued as steal of 2022 NFL Draft in Week 13 vs. Packers

Linebacker Jack Sanborn isn’t just the top-performing rookie on the Chicago Bears this season, he also has a valid claim to be the biggest steal from the 2022 NFL draft.

Sanborn, who played 100% of the Bears’ defensive snaps in Week 13, ascended to Chicago’s starting lineup following the Roquan Smith trade and has responded by leading the team in tackles on a near-weekly basis. According to Pro Football Focus, he registered 14 more stops against Green Bay on Sunday. Sanborn was issued the Bears’ highest grade on defense with an 80.9.

Sanborn’s production and projection as a long-term starter for the Bears is an incredible development for a player who went undrafted last April. Twenty-four linebackers were selected over seven rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft, yet Sanborn is arguably playing the best.

Sanborn’s fall from Wisconsin Badgers star to undrafted free agent was partly due to his pedestrian performance at the 2022 NFL Scouting Combine. He ran a 4.73 40-yard dash and was viewed as a linebacker who’s “limited when the play flows out into space.” Draft analysts pegged Sanborn as an NFL backup.

Boy, were they wrong.