The Bears’ rookie class has gone from intriguing to impossible to ignore, and the preseason has only turned up the volume. Some of these players were expected to matter right away.
Others were supposed to be deeper roster bets, the kind of picks you file away for later. But in Chicago, the early returns suggest a group with real chances to contribute now and down the line.
The question, then, is simple: what does a perfect rookie season look like for each of them?
For Dillon Thieneman, perfection starts with living up to the billing. The safety was drafted to be a potential star, and a Kyle Hamilton-lite rookie year would do the trick.
If Thieneman can produce a season along those lines while also planting the idea in Bears fans’ heads of “Byard who? Brisker who?”, that would be about as clean a debut as Chicago could ask for.
There’s no Coby Bryant here to make the job easier, but Thieneman was taken in the first round for a reason.
Logan Jones has a much trickier path. Garrett Bradbury is the starter in 2026, so the rookie center doesn’t have a clean opening unless injury forces the issue.
That makes the simplest goal the most realistic one: stay healthy. If Jones can handle his practice reps and hold up through the season, he gives Ben Johnson a real chance to feel good about handing him the job in 2027 when Bradbury’s contract expires.
Sam Roush, meanwhile, already looks like he’s moving in the right direction. He flashed as a receiver in the preseason and turned in strong camp moments as well.
He’s still clearly the TE3, but the Bears may be able to see enough to feel comfortable with him as the next man up behind Colston Loveland if Cole Kmet is cut or traded after 2026. For Roush, the key is less about catches and more about the grimy stuff.
If he proves he can block well in 12 or 13 personnel, that’s the box Chicago needs him to check. The receiving ability is already there.
Zavion Thomas has the clearest target of the bunch. Forget the reception total, the yardage, or return averages.
If Thomas finds the end zone five times in any way as a rookie, that’s a perfect season. He’s not going to be asked to carry the passing game.
His touches will be designed, manufactured, and limited. But when he does get the ball, the idea is explosion.
He could also become a real factor on special teams, and if he scores a few times, nobody will care that he was supposed to be a late Day 3 pick.
Malik Muhammad is already in position to hit his version of perfection. The Bears drafted him as an outside corner, but the situation has shifted because of Kyler Gordon’s injury issues, and it’s clear Chicago wants to move on.
Muhammad now looks like the starter in Gordon’s spot. For him, the ideal rookie year is plain: make all 17 starts at nickel corner.
No stat line needed. If he keeps the job all season, that means he did enough to hold it and, in the process, give the Bears a path to part with Gordon.
Keyshaun Elliott’s perfect season is harder to pin down, mostly because of where he is on the depth chart and the back issue that cost him most of training camp. Still, he made the team, and both Ryan Poles and Ben Johnson like the traits he brings.
If Elliott stays healthy, plays in all 17 games, and helps on special teams, that’s a win. The bigger picture is even more important: if he builds enough momentum in practice, the Bears could be looking at him as a starter in 2027 while allowing Bush to leave for a bigger deal.
Bush is on a one-year contract, so that opening may not be far off.
Jordan van den Berg may have created the biggest surprise of the group. A sixth-round pick who has suddenly looked like a serious interior pass-rushing weapon, he’s turned heads over the last couple of months with the way he gets after the quarterback.
The Bears needed more help in the pass rush department, and van den Berg has given them a reason to believe they may have found it in an unexpected place. His preseason performance was strong enough to help push Chicago into trading Gervon Dexter Sr., which only made the buzz louder.
If van den Berg gets to 5.0 sacks as a rookie interior defensive lineman, that would be enough to make everyone forget about Dexter. Dexter had 6.0 last year in his third season, but the pressure came and went.
Van den Berg has looked relentless snap to snap, and that kind of motor changes the conversation fast.
In Other News...
Bears Could Land A Pass Rush Boost Packers Fans Would Hate
The Bears have spent plenty of time this offseason looking for ways to deepen a defensive line that still needs more juice off the edge. One name that has surfaced in that conversation is Josh Sweat, with Kristopher Knox floating the idea of Chicago sending a conditional 2027 fourth-round pick to Arizona to pry him away and give the front seven another proven pass-rush option.
Sweats track record is the reason the idea has traction, and it also explains why it would be the sort of move that would get noticed well beyond Halas Hall. For a Bears team trying to close the gap in the NFC North, adding another edge threat would matter on its own, but it would also be the kind of upgrade Packers fans would hate seeing show up twice a year in a division game. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Need More From These Key Players To Keep Climbing
The Bears have plenty of reasons to feel better about where theyre headed, but the next step depends on a few key players sharpening their edge. Grady Jarrett is working back from injury, Dillon Thieneman suddenly has a bigger opening after a teammates injury, and Rome Odunze needs to get past the foot issue that interrupted his momentum. Add in Austin Booker, whose pass-rush impact could change the feel of the defense, and Jaylon Johnson, who is trying to bounce back after a season defined by injuries, and you get a short list that could shape how far this team climbs.
It is the kind of group that can make a good team look like a legitimate threat if things click in the right order. Chicago does not need all five to become stars, but it does need more consistency, more availability and, in some cases, a clearer return to form. The expectations are different for each player, yet the stakes are the same for the Bears, who are trying to keep building on last seasons progress and cannot afford for those important spots to go quiet. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Face An Early Week 1 Problem Carolina Can Exploit
The Bears are already looking at a tricky Week 1 assignment on the road in Carolina, and the Panthers have a handful of players who could make that opener uncomfortable fast. Jalen Coker brings a growing receiver threat, Jaycee Horn can change the feel of a passing game on the outside, and Jonathon Brooks adds another layer of uncertainty for a Chicago defense trying to settle in early in the season.
Carolinas matchup gets even more interesting because of the range of problems the Panthers can present, from perimeter coverage to pressure to a young pass-catching group that could be tougher than expected right away. Add in the uncertainty around health and recent form for several key names, and this looks like the kind of first-week test that can expose a defense before it has time to find its rhythm. [Read more 🡒]