Which position battles are the most intriguing for the Chicago Bears going into training camp? We take a look as camp looms
With the start of the Chicago Bears’ training camp officially less than a week away, positional battles will soon heat up and the future of the team and rebuild may be impacted greatly. While not every player is fighting for their roster spots or playing time (we can assume that Justin Fields and Roquan Smith will be starting), there are four essential competitions that will shape entire position groups as well as individual players’ futures with the team.
No. 4: Defensive Tackle
With the switch to a 4-3 defense under Matt Eberflus, the defensive tackle position is a crucial part of the defense, especially when it comes to stopping the run and getting interior pressure on quarterbacks who like to roll out. While there will almost certainly be a rotation of players, with some bigger run-stoppers being subbed in on short yardage downs and quicker pass-rushers coming in on key third and longs, the Chicago Bears still need two reliable defensive tackles who can do both with some efficiency.
Over the offseason, the Bears signed two defensive tackles in Justin Jones and Mike Pennel Jr. In four seasons with the Chargers, Jones accounted for only 4.5 sacks with 108 tackles, while Pennel tallied 2 sacks with 176 tackles over eight seasons for the Packers, Jets, Chiefs, and Falcons.
These two additions join three notable Chicago Bears defensive tackles with at least one season of experience in the Windy City. Mario Edwards Jr., Angelo Blackson and Khyiris Tonga will all compete for starting and rotational reps. Edwards Jr. and Blackson both played well for the Bears last season, accounting for 2 sacks each as well as 9 starts and over 50 tackles combined.
Tonga, a seventh round pick in 2021, played a limited roll in 2021, but at 6’4″ and 338 lbs, he could prove formidable in the middle of the defense. The future of the defense may very well be shaped by which three or four defensive tackles emerge from this training camp as important starters/role players.
No. 3: Offensive Tackles
The tackle position may have the most true competition this training camp, as there are five players looking to fill two starting positions. On the left side, 2022 5th round pick Braxton Jones will look to beat out a five year vet in Julie’n Davenport, who has played for the Texans, the Dolphins, and last season, the Colts.
On the right side, Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom, both 2021 NFL draft picks by the Bears, will compete alongside Lachavious Simmons, who started one game for the team last season. The offensive line has been an area of concern for the Chicago Bears for more than a couple of seasons, and when trying to develop a younger, mobile quarterback, the tackles are specifically crucial. Many expected Jenkins, the Bears second round pick just a season ago, to be the defacto starter in 2021, but due to repeated back injuries, Borom took most of the playing time.
Jenkins, who initially played left tackle at Oklahoma State before moving to the right side due to injuries, may find some success as Fields’ blindside protector, and despite his potential difficulties switching sides of the line, Jenkins and Borom may in fact be the best two tackles the Chicago Bears have on the roster. Either way, finding the best edge protectors will aid Montgomery in the run game, as well as giving Fields the proper time in the pocket to show off his arm talent.
No. 2: Nickel Corner
The boundary corners seem relatively set in stone, as the Bears used the 39th overall pick in the 2022 draft to last University of Washington corner Kyler Gordon. Alongside third year corner Jaylon Johnson, a true unsung hero on this Bears roster, the two Pac-12 products look to create a formidable duo for years to come. However, in the modern NFL, a nickel corner who can cover the slot is a crucial situational role, and the main contributor will likely be established during this training camp.
Thomas Graham Jr, a sixth round pick for the Bears in 2021, recorded four passes defended as well as 13 total tackles across four games in his rookie season, but will face competition in the form of a five year veteran Tavon Young, whom the Bears signed this offseason. The former Raven recorded 4 interceptions and 127 tackles in 4 seasons (Young missed the entirety of the 2019 season due to an injury from OTAs and only played in two games in 2020).
When healthy, Young is a solid contributor as a slot corner, but he may have his hands full against the somewhat younger and healthier Graham Jr.
No. 1: Wide Receiver
This has been the number one area concern dating back to last season, and has become only worsened by the inevitable departure of Allen Robinson. Led by Darnell Mooney, who accumulated 1000 receiving yards for the Bears just a year ago as a rookie, the rest of the wide receiver room is somewhat of a mixed bag of NFL players.
The room consists of many physically talented players who did not seem to click on their previous teams, including Byron Pringle, Equanimeous St. Brown, Dante Pettis, Tajae Sharpe, and the recently acquired N’Keal Harry. The common trait in most of these players is size and speed, as the shortest of these five is 6’1″ and they all have relatively fast 40-yard dashes, Pettis being the fastest with a 4.32. In actuality, if even one or two of these players can turn into solid receivers on their second or third stops in their respective careers, Fields’ weapons will improve greatly.
The receiver room also has some homegrown talent, however. Dazz Newsome was drafted by the Bears in 2021 and played only a limited roll last season. The Bears drafted Velus Jones Jr. in the third round of this past draft, and as the embodiment of size and speed, the Cordarelle Patterson-esque weapon should be a unique yet effective part of the Bears offense. However this competition unfolds, Mooney will need at least one running mate to prevent excessive double teams, and it will likely come down to which receivers are the most explosive and mesh the best with Fields during camp.
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