Here’s what Chicago Bears fans need to know about the team’s eight draft picks before rookies report for training camp.
How quickly can Colston Loveland build a rapport with Caleb Williams?
Bears first-round draft pick Colston Loveland speaks with the media following rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
The Bears raised some eyebrows when they selected Michigan tight end Colston Loveland with the No. 10 pick. It wasn’t that Loveland wasn’t deserving of being a top-10 pick but more so the notion that the team had bigger needs at offensive tackle or on the defensive line.
But the Bears are doing things differently under coach Ben Johnson. The tight end position is a priority. Read more here.
Where does Luther Burden III’s electric playmaking best fit in with WR corps?
Rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III runs down the field during Bears rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Four wide receivers were selected in the first round of the NFL draft in April. Luther Burden III was not among them.
In the second round, when the 39th pick came around and Burden was still available, coach Ben Johnson and the Bears were happy to swoop in. The move came as somewhat of a surprise, given that the Bears already had DJ Moore and Rome Odunze on the roster. Johnson saw a chance to add a playmaker. Read more here.
What will it take for Ozzy Trapilo to win the left tackle job?
Bears offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo answers questions during a press conference after practice at Halas Hall on June 10, 2025. (Eileen T. Meslar/Chicago Tribune)
The battle is on at left tackle.
GM Ryan Poles promised competition at the position in February, and he provided it in the form of 6-foot-8 Boston College tackle Ozzy Trapilo.
The Bears drafted Trapilo in the second round at No. 56. Trapilo, who agreed to a contract Thursday, spent the spring competing with second-year pro Kiran Amegadjie for reps at left tackle. Incumbent starter Braxton Jones will join the competition when he returns from an ankle injury.
Those three should provide the most intriguing position battle during training camp. Read more here.
Can 2nd-round pick Shemar Turner harness his fire and earn snaps on the D-line?
Bears draft pick Shemar Turner speaks with the media after rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
The Bears continued their offseason focus on the trenches when they drafted Texas A&M defensive tackle Shemar Turner with a second-round pick (No. 62) in April.
The Bears already had signed defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo during free agency. But in Turner, general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson saw a defensive tackle who plays with a fire they like. Read more here.
Can LB Ruben Hyppolite II harness his speed within Dennis Allen’s scheme?
Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II warms up during Bears rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Chances are, many Bears fans had never heard of Ruben Hyppolite II.
When the Bears drafted Hyppolite at No. 132 in the fourth round in April, his name was relatively unknown. The Maryland linebacker wasn’t among the 329 players invited to the NFL scouting combine in February.
But his name certainly was one Bears coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles were interested in. Read more here.
CB Zah Frazier faces uphill battle for playing time — but it’s not the 1st time
Cornerback Zah Frazier stretches during Bears rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Length comes up a lot when talking about offensive and defensive linemen. NFL teams want tackles with long arms. The same is true for edge rushers, who have to battle with those long-armed offensive tackles.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles has shown an affinity for drafting long-armed players at another position group: defensive back. He found another one when he selected Zah Frazier out of Texas-San Antonio in April in the fifth round (No. 169). Frazier’s 32⅞-inch arms were the second-longest of any cornerback measured at the NFL scouting combine in February.
Length alone won’t land Frazier a spot on the team, but the Bears are optimistic he has the physical tools to develop into a quality NFL cornerback. Read more here.
Can 6th-round pick Luke Newman be a versatile backup on the offensive line?
Offensive lineman Luke Newman waits for the next drill to start during Bears rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Even after investing heavily in veteran offensive linemen in March, the Bears weren’t done bolstering the protection in front of quarterback Caleb Williams.
NFL offensive lines always can use extra help. Coach Ben Johnson has said it several times since he was hired — it’s not only about having five great starters but being able to go seven, eight or nine deep. Injuries often make that a necessity.
The Bears found additional help in the draft when they selected Luke Newman out of Michigan State with a sixth-round pick (No. 195). Read more here.
Will Kyle Monangai move up the running back depth chart and contribute?
Running back Kyle Monangai carries the football during Bears rookie camp at Halas Hall on May 9, 2025, in Lake Forest. (Stacey Wescott/Chicago Tribune)
Twenty-one running backs were selected in the 2025 NFL draft ahead of Kyle Monangai. Bears general manager Ryan Poles selected Monangai in the seventh round (No. 233) with the team’s final pick.
Monangai comes to Chicago after back-to-back 1,200-yard seasons at Rutgers. He joins a backfield that returns starter D’Andre Swift and last year’s No. 2 option, Roschon Johnson. Read more here.