The Chicago Bears have been putting their 2026 draft class to work early in training camp. Safety Dillon Thieneman is firmly entrenched as a starter on defense. Center Logan Jones is battling Garrett Bradbury at center. Wide receiver Zavion Thomas is showcasing his speed and versatility. Cornerback Malik Muhammad is competing at the nickel corner spot with Kyler Gordon out. The one same who has been mostly overlooked to this point, at least by local media, is tight end Sam Roush.

That isn’t overly surprising. So much of the attention at that position has gone to Colston Loveland, who is dominating camp thus far. Cole Kmet has also gotten his fair share of work. People don’t tend to pay much mind to the third guy on the depth chart. Ben Solak of ESPN thinks that is a mistake. He attended a Bears practice recently and noticed something right away. Roush was getting lots of work with the starting offense, and he was being utilized in different ways.

“I saw a lot more Sam Roush with the first team than I expected. The rookie tight end out of Stanford was a draft darling of mine. At 6-foot-6 and 267 pounds, with a rugby background, Roush is capable of displacing defensive ends in one-on-one assignments. The Bears experimented with No. 3 tight end Durham Smythe as a fullback in 2025, and I’d wager we see Roush in that role — with increased frequency — in 2026. Smythe had 335 snaps throughout the regular season and playoffs. Roush might push 400.”

Sam Roush will be a classic stat sheet ghost.

That means he will have a significant impact on games without people ever noticing it. They’ll be focused on his stat line, wondering about his low number of catches. It’s been clear from the beginning that Chicago didn’t draft him for that. While he will get his occasional chances to make plays, his primary value comes as a blocker. Roush can do it from anywhere: in line, out wide, or from the backfield. His dedication to the craft was impossible to ignore during his time at Stanford.

Giving somebody like that to Ben Johnson is asking for pain. The Bears’ head coach is one of the most creative in the NFL. He always finds ways to utilize every tool in the box. Giving him a blocking weapon like Sam Roush may not have looked like a mistake at the time, but that could soon change. The rookie will be a major presence in the run game from the start and should also double as added help against strong edge rushers. That will free up Loveland to do what he does best.

Picks like this always end up mattering more than people realize.

A perfect example of this is Dennis Gentry. Most fans probably don’t know the time because he gets lost in the vast array of Hall of Famers he played with in the 1980s. He was a 4th round pick who ended up serving as a gadget piece on offense while also becoming a great kick returner. His stats never jumped out, but his impact on those teams was significantly felt. Roush could end up being the same. Stat monitors won’t notice him. However, people who watch the tape will likely see the tight end delivering some crucial blocks in every game.

This serves as a reminder that not everybody gets to be the star. Teams must be able to supplement the roster with gritty role players. Guys who don’t mind doing the dirty work. Roush is the epitome of that. He is somebody fans won’t notice much, but teammates and coaches will come to love. It can’t always be about flash in the draft. Sometimes you need regular meat and potatoes.

Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson didn’t mince words during spring practices. He flat-out told the media that he’d be buying Luther Burden stock right now if he were them. He felt the young wide receiver had made significant strides since the end of last season. Burden was putting in constant work, refining his skills while improving his overall strength and conditioning. Even at OTAs and minicamps, it was easy to see how night-and-day he was compared to his rookie year. That in itself was terrifying to think about.

Remember, Burden was only targeted 60 times in 2025. That didn’t stop him from cracking 600 yards receiver. His 2.82 yards per route run was the highest in the NFL. If that was the appetizer, what could the main course possibly be? Johnson clearly thinks it will be something special. If you thought he’d back down from those earlier comments, you’d be very wrong. During an interview with FOX 32, the head coach went so far as to say that he feels Burden has all the traits of a superstar. That includes the internal fire to be great.

Luther Burden could be the next Landry or St. Brown.

“Yeah, well, I mean, I think it’s anytime, they kind of flip a switch when they go on the field and they feel like they’re invincible and that they’re the best players out there. I’ve been around… guys like Jarvis Landry, who’s a tremendous competitor. Played with a little chip on his shoulder, was physical in the running game, not afraid of contact. You could just feel the whole team elevate based on his style of play. (Amon-Ra) St. Brown in Detroit, who I have a strong affinity for, he plays the game the same way.

I feel that from Luther. I know he wasn’t a full-time starter for us a year ago, but the snaps that he did have, he’s got that competitive… competitive edge and desire to be great. And it’s carried over throughout the spring and summer as well. He’s been a regular in the building. He’s been working with our strength staff. Wants to be the most conditioned player on the team. Wants to be one of the strongest receivers on the team. And just continues to soak in all the knowledge that Coach Randall L and Coach Isaiah Ford can give him.”

Johnson is not afraid of expectations for Luther Burden.

Comparing him to St. Brown is probably the loftiest praise you can ever expect from the Bears’ head coach. The Detroit Lions’ Pro Bowler has been the best wide receiver he has ever coached. They made magic together for three years when Johnson was the offensive coordinator there. For him to say Burden has the same internal drive as St. Brown is no small thing. Yet that doesn’t even cover the scariest part. The thing to remember about St. Brown and Jarvis Landry is their limitations.

For all of their success, both men were considered undersized with average speed. They overcame it with excellent route-running. Luther Burden doesn’t have those problems. He is 6’0″ tall and boasts 4.41 speed, serving last season as the Bears’ most dangerous deep threat. Now stop and think about this. If you paired that capability with the same route-running prowess of St. Brown, what sort of player do you think it creates? As Johnson has said, one of the best in all of football.

Early training camp signs haven’t disappointed.

Through the first week of practices, the wide receiver has looked the part. His release and route-running have noticeably improved since last season. The speed is as dangerous as ever. Bears’ cornerbacks are having a brutal time dealing with him. The only thing left to clean up is his occasional drop issues. Burden still has a bad habit of letting the ball hit off his hands, even when he’s wide open. If he wants to fulfill Johnson’s vision for him, that will be something he has to clean up.

One thing is certain. He has the clear trust of quarterback Caleb Williams, who hasn’t hesitated to go his way at every opportunity. That speaks volumes. Once you have his nod of approval, plenty of footballs are going your way. If Burden gets the customary 100+ targets of a #1 wide receiver this season, he could be the first drafted by the Bears since Darnell Mooney to crack 1,000 yards. If Johnson is right, that will only be a taste of what’s to come.

One thing that is inevitable about football is that guys get hurt. Injuries are an unfortunate fact of life, especially in a game that is so physical. The Chicago Bears were brutalized by injuries last season, especially on defense. It appears that misfortune continues for them. News broke on Monday that Coby Bryant, their prized free agent addition at safety, badly tweaked his knee during the first padded practice of training camp. He suffered a hyperextension, a bone bruise, and a small fracture during an awkward landing during drills.

The final tally? Bryant will miss 8-10 weeks of action. That means he is out for the rest of camp, the entire preseason, and at least the first two games of the regular season. Depending on the recovery, he could miss all of September. It is a brutal setback for the defense. They were counting on Bryant to help fortify the back end. Right now, they’re looking at their other free agent signing, Cam Lewis, as the initial replacement. Depending on how that goes, it’s possible the Bears may look to bring in outside help.

Here are some names to watch.

The Bears have some interesting choices to fill in for Coby Bryant

Harrison Smith

Based purely on track record and credibility, you can’t do much better than a future Hall of Famer. Smith has given the Bears fits for over a decade during his stellar run with the Minnesota Vikings. Sadly, all things come to an end. Minnesota elected to move on from the 37-year-old. It wasn’t necessary because he wasn’t productive. Smith still had 54 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack last season. He was one of the big reasons they avoided a losing record with a terrific performance down the stretch. Smith can still play. Would he accept an invitation to start in Chicago for a month or so? Dennis Allen could probably find plenty of uses for him even after Bryant returns, and Smith would make a terrific mentor for Dillon Thieneman. Much depends on how much he wants to play.

Taylor Rapp

Rapps was a solid player for the Los Angeles Rams from 2019 through 2022. He played well for Buffalo in 2024, as well. Unfortunately, a knee injury knocked him out last season after just six games. How he returns from that is unknown. Rapp is the youngest player on this list at 28 years old. He comes with solid versatility, showing tenacity as a tackler and enough range to handle his business in coverage. Speed was never his strength, but the Bears have shown they can navigate around that problem. Rapp has experience playing for successful teams. That knowledge will sit well in that locker room.

Donovan Wilson

The former 6th round pick doesn’t get enough credit for carving out a strong career with the Dallas Cowboys, playing seven seasons, including the final four as a regular starter. In that time, he has demonstrated good versatility with 13.5 sacks and 8 interceptions. If you’re looking for somebody you can move around like a chess piece, Wilson can do that. He’s similar to Jaquan Brisker in that regard. The trade-off is that he isn’t overly good in coverage these days. He allowed 13 touchdowns over the past two seasons. If the Bears sign him, it should be primarily as a box safety. Not ideal, but it’s a workable solution.

Xavier Woods

Probably one of the more unheralded safeties over the past decade. Woods would never be mistaken for a star, but he’s been a quality starter in both Dallas and Carolina. He was actually having one of his better seasons in 2025 with Tennessee, collecting two interceptions and a sack in 11 games before hamstring problems eventually forced the Titans to shut him down. He should be healthy by now. It is somewhat surprising nobody has picked him up. He’s played in different types of defenses and has enough range to provide reasonable help over the top in coverage. If you’re looking for a temporary stopgap until Coby Bryant returns, you could do a lot worse.

Trevon Diggs

This last one is more of a projection. Diggs was an All-Pro cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys a few years ago. Unfortunately, his overall lack of speed became an increasingly serious problem as time went on. He just couldn’t stay with wide receivers consistently enough. That is why his stint with the Green Bay Packers was so brief. His future as a cornerback appears bleak in the NFL. That said, Diggs has the size, physicality, and ball skills to make a go of it at safety. His lack of speed will be less of a concern at that position. Don’t forget that Bryant started out as a cornerback in Seattle. Would Diggs embrace the idea? He’d be reuniting with defensive backs coach Al Harris. If anybody can help the 28-year-old make the transition, it’d be him.

From the sound of things, it appears Garrett Bradbury is the current favorite for the starting center job on the Chicago Bears‘ offensive line. Head coach Ben Johnson has been ecstatic with his communication skills and overall consistency. Rookie Logan Jones has work to do to change that. The same can’t be said about the team’s left tackle situation. Four different players are battling for that coveted spot. Incumbent Braxton Jones feels like the favorite, but he’s being challenged once again by Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie. However, his biggest threat could be Jedrick Wills.

Chicago signed the former 10th overall pick this offseason after his departure from the Cleveland Browns. Wills had a promising start to his NFL career after dominating for Alabama. Then injuries and, according to some, a crisis of confidence struck. Wills missed most of the past two seasons dealing with a severe knee issue. He saw the Bears as a good opportunity to reestablish himself. Based on Johnson’s recent comments before Monday’s practice, the 27-year-old hasn’t disappointed.

Jedrick Wills hasn’t shown any mental concerns.

“Well, I know Alabama, Cleveland, before he got hurt, that he was a very powerful player. And so it’s hard to say that yet. Hopefully we’ll see over the course of the next few days, next couple weeks, if that continues to be the case. He hadn’t played football in a while, and so you’re a little bit like, ‘Where’s the confidence level at?‘ From what we’ve seen the last four days, it’s been pretty good. It’s been a good start.

Like I said, Braxton’s been great. Jed’s firmly in the mix. ‘Ran (Amegadjie) got some reps with the ones. I think Theo’s worth mentioning as well. I mean, I think we got a really good group of guys that continue to ascend to get better. So hopefully it’s a really difficult decision for us.”

Wills’ biggest test is at hand.

You can only do so much in shorts during practice. The Bears had pads on for the first time on Monday. That meant it was full contact. It would be the first real test of that rebuilt knee since he injured it in 2024. Can Wills still generate the necessary power that made him a star in college? Can he still move with fluidity for someone his size? It sounds like the Bears are seeing glimpses of what they hoped for. If he takes the offensive system well over the next four weeks, he might be the actual favorite to win the job.

If all things are equal in a roster battle, teams tend to go with the most talented player. Jedrick Wills is certainly that as a former 1st round pick. Draft experts saw him as a future Pro Bowler. It didn’t work out in Cleveland, but he’s landed in a great situation. Johnson is known for getting the best out of his blockers, as is Dan Roushar, the team’s offensive line coach. It probably wasn’t an accident Wills chose Chicago. He recognized that they had the setup he needed to get his career back on track.

The Bears have been consistent with their reps thus far.

Jones and Wills have gotten considerable work with the starting offense. Amegadjie got a day as well. That rotation figures to continue for at least the next couple of weeks. Johnson and Roushar have shown they will not declare a winner easily. They will carry a competition all the way to the season if they have to. It happened at left tackle last year. No decision will be made until someone steps up and seizes the job. The best thing to do is keep an eye on August 15th. That is the date of the Bears’ first preseason game.

Whoever starts that game can safely be considered the leader for the job. Jones got that nod last year. He ended up starting on opening day. That gives Wills just under two weeks to stake his claim. The Bears won’t give him a grace period. If he wants to prove he belongs, he must earn it. There won’t be any favoritism here like there was at Alabama as a highly recruited prospect or in Cleveland as a 1st round pick. He is starting from square one. There is no time to waste.