Every Rookie to Watch During Chicago Bears Training Camp

With training camp just days away, a look at the Chicago Bears rookies we're keeping a closer eye on than most.

Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Get ready, Chicago Bears fans, we are just days away from the start of training camp.

Chicago saw rookies arrive on Saturday, July 25, and the rest of the team will be in the building on Tuesday, July 28. The Bears will have their first practice on Wednesday July 29, and then the first of 10 open practices fans will be able to attend is Friday, July 31.

While we'll be covering every aspect of training camp, there is a specific list of rookies we'll be paying extra close attention to over the course of the next month. Here's who's on that list.

Dillon Thieneman

Chicago Bears defensive back Dillon Thieneman. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As far as Thieneman's role is concerned, there is no mystery here. He's going to start next to Coby Bryant and the Bears' hope is that we quickly forget about both Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker.

That said, we can't say for sure that will be the case, and mostly because we have no clue how quickly Thieneman is going to be able to make his mark.

There is no doubt he is supremely talented and he has all the tools to be a star, but some rookies take longer than others to get there. The Bears need Thieneman to make an immediate impact and we will have a better idea of his ability to do so out of the gate based on what we see over the course of the next month.

WR Zavion Thomas

Chicago Bears wide receiver Zavion Thomas. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thomas was electric during the spring after making standout play after standout play during OTAs. Now, he's got to finish the job in his first offseason by putting up a strong training camp, where he not only has to prove he can stand out with pads on, but that he also has a strong grasp on the playbook.

If he can accomplish all that, Thomas should have a solid little role carved out for himself behind the top three wide receivers, Rome Odunze, Luther Burden and Kalif Raymond.

OL Logan Jones

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Logan Jones. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Jones is one of the most important rookies to watch ahead of a season in which the Bears will be replacing Drew Dalman, who unexpectedly retired during the offseason.

Garrett Bradbury is the veteran option for the Bears after a trade with the New England Patriots, and Jones was thrown into the mix after he was a surprising pick of Chicago in the second round of this year's draft.

The advantage definitely goes to the veteran, but Bradbury isn't even close to unbeatable and Jones has a legit shot to take the job away from him.

CB Malik Muhammad

Former Texas defensive back Malik Muhammad. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Like Jones, Muhammad will be competing for a starting job in his first NFL training camp. That competition will come against Tyrique Stevenson, who should be considered the favorite.

Muhammad's offseason has been fairly quiet, so that isn't a good sign for his chances as he enters training camp. That said, he still has ample opportunity to make some noise and pull off the upset.

Furthermore, even if he doesn't win the starting job, it may not be long before we see him inserted into the starting lineup after Stevenson got himself benched in 2025.

OL Caden Barnett

Chicago Bears offensive lineman Caden Barnett. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Barnett was a highly-paid undrafted free signing, which shows the the Bears think highly of him. We also think highly of him, as we've routinely pegged Barnett as one of the UDFAs with the best chance to make the roster.

The Wyoming product excels as a run-blocker and offers a good deal of versatility after playing at both guard and tackle in college. That will no doubt help his cause as he looks to secure a backup job out of training camp.

S Skyler Thomas

Chicago Bears defensive back Skyler Thomas. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Thomas, who some pegged as a late-round pick before the draft, also earned himself a bigger-than-normal UDFA deal, but we'd be lying if we said he didn't face an uphill climb to make the roster.

Chicago has Dillon Thieneman, Coby Bryant, Elijah Hicks and Cam Lewis all set to make the roster at the position, so Thomas will need the Bears to carry five.

That said, Thomas' ability to shut down opposing tight ends and operate out of the slot on top of serving as a traditional safety could force the Bears to roll into the season with five.

LS Beau Gardner

Georgia Bulldogs place kicker Peyton Woodring and long snapper Beau Gardner. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

We know, we know: a long snapper?!

Downplay the position all you want, but when the Bears have to make a crucial field goal in Week 2 and the snap goes over Cairo Santos' head and the Bears lose the game as a result, we'll all be taking this situation much more seriously.

Gardner is competing for the long snapper job against Luke Elkin. The concern is that neither one has ever snapped a football in the NFL. The good news is, both were highly-decorated long snappers in college, so there's promise here.

But until we see them get the job done in a real NFL game, there is no telling how either one will do. We would not be surprised to see Chicago add a veteran to the mix at some point in camp.