There was a lot to love about the Chicago Bears’ Week 1 victory over the San Francisco 49ers, including the performances of four rookies whose futures look bright.
The biggest standout was fifth-round rookie defensive end Dominique Robinson, who had 1.5 of Chicago’s 2.0 sacks in the opener. He added seven tackles, including one for a loss, with two QB hits. Robinson, who’s only been playing the position for a couple of years, flashed his potential in his first NFL start.
Second-round cornerback Kyler Gordon and safety Jaquan Brisker have been making a strong impression since they arrived in Chicago, where the hope is they can develop into two cornerstones on defense. Both got off to good starts on Sunday, where they played every snap in the win.
Brisker recorded the Bears’ first takeaway of the 2022 season recovering a fumble by Deebo Samuel. He also had four tackles, including one for a loss. Gordon had six tackles, including one for a loss, as he transitioned between outside and nickel cornerback.
Then there’s fifth-round rookie Braxton Jones, who played every snap at left tackle for Chicago in Week 1. In his first NFL start, Jones faced a tall order going against two-time Pro Bowler Nick Bosa. While he had an up-and-down performance, including allowing a sack, he got better as the game went on.
While we’re just one game into the NFL careers of these rookies, this draft class has the potential to be an impactful one for the Bears.
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