Training camp is in full swing for the Chicago Bears, who have now completed seven days of practice since reporting to Halas Hall last week. Early on, the offense stole the show with big plays in the passing game, but the defense caught up once pads came on the last couple of days.
Players like Justin Fields, D.J. Moore, Chase Claypool, Tremaine Edmunds, Jaquan Brisker, and Kyler Gordon have stolen the headlines at one time or another after each practice, but what about the Bears rookie class? General manager Ryan Poles selected 10 players in total earlier this spring, most notably tackle Darnell Wright with the No. 10 overall pick.
Wright has been a starter at right tackle from Day 1 and he’s been one of the more intriguing players as camp has gotten underway. There’s more to the rookies than just the first-round pick, though. Here’s an overview of each Bears rookie performance up to this point in camp.
Darnell Wright
Wright’s first training camp has been a mixed bag, but that’s to be expected for an offensive lineman. After practicing in shorts and t-shirts for the first few days, things got more real for the first-round pick out of Tennessee when the team put on the pads the last few days. Wright showed signs of progress, throwing crushing blocks on defensive ends and pulling with ease on certain plays. Other times, however, he’s struggled in protection and had instances with penalties.
There’s plenty to like with Wright’s potential and his teammates agree. On Monday, center Cody Whitehair explained how Wright’s technique stood out to him when watching film (via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin).
Cody Whitehair said the O-line was watching film of 1-on-1s from practice the other day and noticed how Darnell Wright's ability to strike w/ his hands and move his feet stood out and how he applied those things to team periods.
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) July 31, 2023
Meanwhile, guard Teven Jenkins marveled at Wright’s athleticism and how it helps him bounce back from poor get-offs (via the Chicago Tribune’s Dan Wiederer).
Some of the most consistent praise of Bears rookie Darnell Wright is how he has the athleticism to recover and win reps even when he is far from perfect. It's a great trait to have as an OL. "Mindblowing," Teven Jenkins said.
— Dan Wiederer (@danwiederer) August 1, 2023
All in all, Wright has the ingredients to become a stellar tackle in the NFL and that’s becoming evident as practices start to ramp up. He just needs to be more consistent and learn from the reps he’s getting. As long as he stays healthy, these camp practices will go a long way for the right tackle.
The Wright Tackle 🫡 pic.twitter.com/RoXnWE28uy
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 2, 2023
DT Gervon Dexter
While Wright has had his ups and downs, it seems defensive tackle Gervon Dexter has been on a steady climb since camp began. The second-round defensive tackle out of Florida is turning heads more and more as the days go by, especially now with pads on. On Tuesday, Dexter flashed in 1-on-1 drills and blew through the offensive line for a would-be sack on quarterback Justin Fields.
Gervon Dexter blows this up 👀👀 #Bears pic.twitter.com/IVIFCLzS2O
— dre (@beardownDRE) August 1, 2023
There have also been instances where the massive defensive tackle has flushed the quarterback from the pocket and caused a turnover. He’s still learning to play in this system but teammates are excited about his possibilities as a pro. Defensive tackle Justin Jones singled Dexter out as the rookie who stood out most to him. “Once he really understands the Xs and Os outside of the d-line, like understanding the whole defense and how offenses come and try to attack certain defenses and styles of play, I think he’s going to be a real dominant player in this league,” Jones said after Monday’s practice.
#Bears DT Justin Jones was asked which rookie has stood out to him. He commended Gervon Dexter https://t.co/6gKAOnkgEr pic.twitter.com/RRYLUAmHFI
— Barroom Network (@BarroomNetwork) July 31, 2023
Dexter has plenty of competition and still a ways to go, but it’s clear he’s an upgrade to the Bears interior defensive line.
CB Tyrique Stevenson
When the Bears wrapped their minicamp in June, it felt as if cornerback Tyrique Stevenson had already played his way into a starting role on defense. But after a week of training camp, that isn’t quite the case. Stevenson, a second-rounder out of Miami (FL), is battling with another rookie cornerback for the starting job opposite Jaylon Johnson.
It still feels like Stevenson’s job to lose, but he has someone breathing down his neck. Since camp opened. Stevenson’s had mixed results in 1-on-1 drills while covering receivers such as D.J. Moore and Chase Claypool. Both players put him in a blender of sorts on their routes and the rookie has had to find ways to bounce back.
To his credit, though, Stevenson’s last couple practices have been better. On Monday, he intercepted a ball from Fields in 11-on-11s and deflected passes in 1-on-1s. On Tuesday, he jammed receivers more effectively and made key pass breakups in 7-on-7 drills. He’s aware of what he needs to work on, such as not playing every receiver the same way (via CHGO’s Nicholas Moreano) but the rookie may be turning a corner after his rough start.
Tyrique Stevenson said some things he needs to tighten up right now is just his knowledge of the game. He gave an example of how you can't defend a player like Chase Claypool the same way you would play DJ Moore. In college he could get away with that. pic.twitter.com/KWLv1eLGHu
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) August 1, 2023
DT Zacch Pickens
Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens hasn’t made the same type of splash plays like Dexter on the line and has worked primarily with the reserves for the majority of the practices. But now that the pads are on, his abilities are starting to show and he had his best day of camp on Tuesday.
Pickens generated consistent pressure and gave the offensive line fits when he was on the field. He may not be on the same level as Dexter yet but he’s coming along and head coach Matt Eberflus is pleased with the progress. “I’ve been impressed with both guys the whole camp,” Eberflus said about Pickens and Dexter via the 79th & Halas Podcast. “Both of those guys have done a good job rushing the passer.”
The third-round pick out of South Carolina should continue to ascend as he gets more reps under his belt.
"I've been impressed with both guys, the whole camp…both of those guys have done a good job rushing the passer" on Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens
— 79th & Halas Podcast (@79thAndHalas) August 1, 2023
RB Rochson Johnson
There have been plenty of rookie highlights this camp all over the field, but one player has been unusually quiet. Running back Roschon Johnson, a fourth-round pick out of Texas, was a popular candidate to be the team’s star rookie during the 2023 season. That may still come to fruition, but Johnson hasn’t shown up much in any of the team drills.
For the first few days of camp, Johnson was normally one of the first players on the field. He did stand out during individual drills, notably when working on pass blocking, but that’s about it. Players like Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman have dominated the touches in 11-on-11s prior to the pads coming on. When the pads did come on, Johnson was nowhere to be found. The rookie is dealing with an undisclosed injury that kept him out of Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s practice.
It’s unclear how long Johnson will be out but it’s safe to say his involvement in camp isn’t what many thought it would be up to this point. At some point, he will start to eat into Herbert and Foreman’s touches, but for now, he’s squarely behind the veterans.
WR Tyler Scott
While Johnson has struggled to make impact plays, the Bears’ other fourth-round pick can’t stop making them. Wide receiver Tyler Scott has flashed from the start thanks to his lightning speed and quickness of the line. The rookie receiver out of Cincinnati is already finding a place within the offense and could be a dangerous weapon for Fields when the regular season gets underway.
Ooooo he fast 💨 pic.twitter.com/uCCFGNAPQM
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 27, 2023
Scott has shown the ability to get behind the defense seemingly at will and is someone who can be dangerous as a return specialist. He does need to work on his drops as there have been multiple instances where Scott’s beaten his defender, but cannot come down with the ball.
Still, the Bears coaching staff has faith in Scott and he’s already working himself into the first-string offense. Following Tuesday’s practice, Eberflus commended the rookie for how quickly he’s picked up the playbook. “I’m super impressed with his maturity and the way he learns the offense,” Eberflus said via team reporter Larry Mayer. “He learns at a fast rate.”
Eberflus on rookie WR Tyler Scott: "I'm super impressed with his maturity and the way he learns the offense. He learns at a fast rate."
— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) August 1, 2023
Scott won’t unseat players like Moore, Claypool, or Mooney at the receiver position, but he’s clearly worked his way into certain packages already. His stock is rising and he’ll likely be a Week 1 contributor.
LB Noah Sewell
Linebacker Noah Sewell got off to a strong start in camp thanks to an opportunity on the starting defense. Sewell filled in for Jack Sanborn at the strong linebacker position while he continued to ramp up following his ankle injury last season. Once Sanborn returned though, Sewell was back to the second string and hadn’t made much of an impact. That is, until Wednesday’s practice.
Sewell was heavily involved in the defense’s dominant day in both run and pass defense. He made crushing tackles on running back Travis Homer and snuffed out a pass to Khalil Herbert. He took advantage of Sanborn being out again and showed what he could do. We’ll see how many splash plays he makes when Sanborn returns but it was nice to see Sewell flash.
LB Noah Sewell really impressed me at practice today! He was physical flying around making plays! He Delivered a big hit on Travis Homer on a check down route. He Made the most of his opportunity today with LB Jack Sanborn out of the line up. pic.twitter.com/T2WJsxm5Ip
— Jason McKie (Blue Check) (@Jmack37) August 2, 2023
CB Terell Smith
The Bears have only been back at Halas Hall for a little over a week, but it’s clear cornerback Terell Smith is the biggest surprise of training camp up to this point. The sixth-round cornerback out of Minnesota impressed the coaching staff so much that they decided to move him up to first string to compete with Stevenson for a starting job. And Smith is making things difficult for his draftmate.
Smith is challenging receivers with his lengthy frame on a consistent basis, whether it’s during 1-on-1s, 7-on-7s, or full team drills. He’s batted balls out of the air that have led to picks and isn’t letting anything up easily.
That Maine is a savage 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/kMthYQ3ezN
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) July 29, 2023
Smith still has a ways to go to earn the starting cornerback spot, but the competition is bringing out the best in him. His play up to this point has been a pleasant surprise.
DT Travis Bell
It’s been mostly quiet on the Travis Bell front up to this point but the seventh-round draft pick might finally be starting to flash. After flying under the radar for much of the week, Bell put together his best practice on Wednesday by showing physicality with the offensive linemen and even drawing a holding penalty.
Travis Bell got his helmet knocked off and drew a holding penalty at the end of the first team drills. Nice job by the rookie.
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) August 2, 2023
Bell was a favorite of Ryan Poles coming out of the draft but he’s got a ways to go before he starts turning heads. He’s still playing behind veterans Andrew Billings, and Justin Jones, as well as fellow rookies Dexter and Pickens. Now he has to compete with Bravvion Roy, whom the Bears recently claimed off waivers.
S Kendall Williamson
Safety Kendall Williamson has a prime opportunity to grab hold of a roster spot behind Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker. But the seventh-round pick out of Stanford hasn’t stood out much in practice. Williamson has been running with the reserves and aside from one near interception of Fields early in camp, he’s been out of the spotlight.
Kendall Williamson makes a nice play on the ball to almost pick off Fields over the middle #Bears
— Andrew Freeman (@AjFreeman25) July 27, 2023
It’s difficult for seventh-round draft picks to generate buzz early in camp but with the backend of the safety position being as open as it is, Williamson could be doing more. We’ll see how his second week goes and if he takes advantage of preseason reps.
