OTAs Could Decide the Fate of 3 Recent Chicago Bears Draft Picks

Three recent Chicago Bears draft picks are in serious trouble and must have a strong showing at OTAs to start building their case for a roster spot.

Chicago Bears linebacker (47) Ruben Hyppolite III. | David Banks-Imagn Images

The Chicago Bears began OTAs on Wednesday, and we will finally get an inside look at the goings on at practice on Thursday because it will be open to the media.

While 53-man roster spots won't be determined until training camp, players can get a head start on showing coaches they deserve one at OTAs this week and next, and at mandatory minicamp after that.

When it comes to recent draft picks, there are three in particular who need to have a strong showing at OTAs in order to start building the case they belong on the 53-man roster.

Ruben Hyppolite

Chicago Bears linebacker Ruben Hyppolite. | David Banks-Imagn Images

When the Bears selected Hyppolite in the fourth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the pick was viewed as a reach. Now, after just one season, it looks like analysts were right.

Hyppolite struggled during his rookie campaign and was active for just seven games, starting in one of them. When he was active, the Maryland product only saw the field for 31 defensive snaps.

When Year 1 was all said and done, Hyppolite posted a 46.2 overall Pro Football Focus grade, a 51.8 mark in run defense, a 58.1 in the pass rush and a 51.3 in coverage.

The Bears have three locked-in linebackers in T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush and D'Marco Jackson, which means there might be one or two spots up for grabs at the position on the 53-man roster. In 2025, the Bears carried five linebackers on their initial roster.

We wouldn't call him a lock, but 2026 draft pick Keyshaun Elliott has a good chance to take one of them. Even if that doesn't turn out to be the case, there is still a lot of competition for Hyppolite with guys like Nephi Sewell, Jack Sanborn and Jon Rhattigan, to name a few. Noah Sewell is still under contract, also, but he is recovering from a torn Achilles and it isn't clear when he'll be ready.

Hyppolite needs to bounce back in a big way this offseason if he wants to stay with the Bears, and his quest to do so will start at OTAs this week.

OL Kiran Amegadjie

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie. | David Banks-Imagn Images

A third-round pick in 2024, Amegadjie was inactive for the first two games of 2025 before suffering an elbow injury that landed him on injured reserve for the rest of the season.

His disappointing sophomore campaign came after a rookie year in which the Yale product appeared in just six games (one start) and struggled to the tune of a 39.4 Pro Football Focus pass-blocking grade and a 54.6 run-blocking grade.

Amegadjie is one of four competitors for the left tackle job, along with Braxton Jones, Theo Benedet and Jedrick Wills, but the simple fact that Chicago felt the need to add Wills to the mix shows the team doesn't have a ton of faith in Amegadjie.

At this point, the former third-round pick will be lucky to secure a depth role in 2026.

RB Roschon Johnson

Chicago Bears running back Roschon Johnson. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

With D'Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai atop the depth chart, there won't even be scraps for the Bears' backups as long as both are healthy.

Johnson, who has seen his role and production decline in the last two years and was leap-frogged by Monangai on the depth chart in 2025, is fighting for a backup job, of which there may only be one, and maybe two, at most.

Chicago decided to hold on to Brittain Brown, who actually had three more carries than Johnson last season, and the team added rookie Coleman Bennett after the draft and veteran Salvon Ahmed in free agency more recently.

Seeing as how the Bears felt the need to add both Bennett and Ahmed, Johnson's spot is anything but secure, although his experience in special teams will no doubt help his cause.