Chicago Bears running back Jordan Lynch is one of those feel good stories. He grew up in Chicago, went to a Chicago high school (Mount Carmel), played his college ball in the Chicago area (Northern Illinois), and now finds himself wearing the practice jersey of his hometown team.
As good as that sounds, Lynch is not guaranteed a roster spot. The first obstacle Lynch needs to overcome is the difficulty of changing positions. After playing quarterback in college (where he threw for 6,209 yards and 51 touchdowns), the Bears have moved the 2013 Heisman Trophy finalist to running back.
Many scouts and general managers thought that Lynch was a better runner (he rushed for 4,343 yards and 48 touchdowns at NIU) than a passer. Bears GM Phil Emery felt the same way.
So that leads to the second obstacle that Lynch must overcome, learning the fundamentals of the running back position. Lynch has the natural talent and speed for the position, and has very good field vision. During mini-camps in the Spring, Lynch became familiar with the playbook, learned how to run routes out of the back field and was taught how to correctly receive hand-offs.
The biggest question mark surrounding Lynch as a running back is probably his ability to pass block. Picking up the blitz is a very important part of the position in the NFL, and Lynch is very raw, to say the least, when it comes to blocking.
The final obstacle that Lynch must hurdle is the fact that he was un-drafted. He signed as a rookie costless agent, so his contract is not guaranteed. Plus, he's currently sixth on the depth chart behind Matt Forte, Michael Ford, Shaun Draughn, and fellow rookies Ka'Deem Carey and Senorise Perry. He has a major uphill climb ahead of him.
If Lynch can improve on his pass blocking, blitz protection and contribute on special teams he has a chance to stick around. But unless he finds a way to outperform everyone else, Lynch's best hope of making the roster is through the practice squad.
So far, Lynch is heading in the right direction as he passed his conditioning tests on Thursday, but he still has plenty to prove before he makes the roster. Lynch suiting up for the Bears would be a great story, but nothing is handed out in the NFL.