Rookie first-round pick Colston Loveland, a tight end from Michigan, has impressed coaches despite being limited while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.
“What I can gather from the walkthroughs, from the meetings, is he’s very professional,” Johnson said. “He takes everything seriously. I think he’s going to fit in really well once we start getting him to go full speed. I know coach [Jim] Dray’s said to me numerous times how impressed he is for the types of questions he’s asking at his young age.”
Loveland has spent the offseason “really diving into that playbook.”
“It’s one thing to know it, but to go out there and do it in real time [is important],” he said. “It’s the walkthrough reps, the mental reps. Those are huge and crucial.”
During the assimilation process, Loveland has leaned on sixth-year pro Cole Kmet.
“All the tight ends have been super helpful, but Cole, that’s a vet right there,” Loveland said. “[He] does everything the right way. Really good at football; really good mentally, really good physically. He’s a great guy to look up to, and he’s been very [helpful] … If I run a route or do something, he’ll tell me some things, how he sees it, some coverage things, or whatever it may be. He’s been super helpful and I’m very appreciative.”
Second-round selection Ozzy Trapilo has enjoyed getting practice reps at left tackle with the No. 1 offense during offseason workouts.
“It’s a really great opportunity,” Trapilo said. “This is the perfect time for the coaches to do it. Rotate guys in. There are no pads or anything yet, so they’re really just doing their best to get guys looks, get a feeling for it all. I’m going out there every opportunity I get, trying to make the most of it, and it’s really beneficial to be able to work next to guys that have played in this league.”
It would be difficult to find a better left guard to play next to than Joe Thuney, a four-time All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl champion the Bears acquired in a March trade with the Chiefs.
“When we’re out there, especially after a rep, the benefit of practice is you can get back to the huddle and talk a little bit about it,” Trapilo said. “You don’t have to move on to the next play.”
Trapilo also praised Kiran Amegadjie and Braxton Jones for helping him, even though all three individuals are competing for the same starting left tackle position.
“They’re both fantastic guys,” Trapilo said. “The whole O-line is really incredible. Coming in, you don’t know how it’s going to be. [But] everyone is such a good guy. [If] you have a question, they’ll go out of their way to help you. That’s for the entire room, [including] the tackle position. I’ve been really happy about that.”