All Bears Draft Picks Sign Contracts in Time for Camp

The seven Chicago Bears draft picks all signed their contracts on Tuesday and will be available for the official start of camp as well as on-going rookie work

The on-going talks between the NFL and NFLPA over how to handle camp openings with COVID-19 did nothing to stop the process previously set forth.

In particular, rookies have to become members of the team. All of the Bears draft picks officially did on Tuesday when every one of them signed a Bears contract.

Previously announced plans had rookies reporting on Tuesday for the start of camp, eight days ahead of veterans but there seems some uncertainty at the moment whether the full camp will actually begin on that date.

Regardless, the Bears have all of their draft picks in the fold on four-year contracts. They had no first-round pick so there is no five-year contract.

Tight end Cole Kmet from Notre Dame and cornerback Jaylon Johnson from Utah were the second-round picks. Edge rusher Trevis Gipson from Tulsa, cornerback Kindle Vildor from Georgia Southern and wide receiver Darnell Mooney from Tulane were the fifth-round picks. Offensive linemen Arlington Hambright from Colorado and Lachavious Simmons from Tennessee State were their seventh-round selections.

The second-rounders figure to either compete for starting roles or start, the fifth-rounders all could find their way onto the field for parts of games or on special teams. The linemen are long-term projects.

The Bears have said Kmet will be at the Y tight end, or the in-line tight end spot, while Johnson is battling for the right cornerback spot. Gipson will be coming off the edge as a stand-up linebacker, a different role than he had in college when he had to line up as a defensive lineman with a hand on the ground.

The rest of the players' roles are uncertain, although it would appear Mooney is initially going to line up at Z receiver on the outside behind starter Ted Ginn Jr.

Vildor could be a slot or outside cornerback and the Bears have to look more at the linemen to determine if either can play tackle because they initially projected as guards. However, Simmons has a long reach and it's possible he could be trained as a tackle.

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