Four Bears Rookies Fans Should Watch Closely at Minicamp

With rookie minicamps and OTAs now in the past, the Chicago Bears are set to begin mandatory minicamp this week. These will be the final organized team activities before training camp begins in late July, so this will be an important week of work for the Bears' rookies as they fight for roster spots or even starting jobs.

Bears fans will doubtlessly be paying attention to the development of all seven of their rookies over the course of this week. However, four rookies in particular are likely to command special focus from coaches and fans alike. They're either in line for a starting role or have the makings to be the steal of the 2026 NFL draft, and their development ahead of schedule would position the Bears well for a Super Bowl run.

1. Logan Jones

No Bears rookie's development is more important than Logan Jones. Yes, they have the veteran Garrett Bradbury, but he's not their long-term answer at center. If he was, the Patriots would have never traded him in the first place. If the Bears are to build on their success of 2025, the offensive line will need to continue to be dominant. That means the rookie Logan Jones needs to be ready to start from Day 1, and we should see whether he's capable of that here in the Bears' mandatory minicamp.

As an added bonus, if Logan Jones can indeed be the Day 1 starter at center, the Bears could get great value for Garrett Bradbury in another trade.

2. Zavion Thomas

General manager Ryan Poles made a huge vote of confidence in his scouting staff's evaluations this year when he selected wide receiver Zavion Thomas, a prospect who wasn't expected to be drafted until late on Day 3, with the No. 89 pick. However, it's easy to look at his speed and shiftiness and envision Thomas as a one-of-one weapon in head coach Ben Johnson's offense.

Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III are the top two receivers for the Bears, make no mistake about that. But the WR3 role is up for grabs, and that could be exactly where Thomas thrives.

3. Malik Muhammad

Tyrique Stevenson's rough start at OTA practices last month has thrown open the door for rookie Malik Muhammad to start at the CB2 position in 2026. Unlike Thomas, who was taken far ahead of where he was expected to go, the Bears appear to have gotten great value with their fourth-round selection of the Texas cornerback, who was widely viewed as a third- or second-round talent.

The one big question for Muhammad to answer at minicamp has to do with his physicality. He's a bit slight of frame and could get bullied by bigger, stronger recievers like Odunze. If he's going to have a shot at a starting role as a rookie, he'll need to prove that he can overcome this deficiency.

4. Jordan van den Berg

The Bears' hype for Jordan van dan Berg was through the roof earlier in May, and he has a chance to send that hype into the stratosphere. Van dan Berg is a tremendous athlete in possession of a rare blend of speed and size, and if his technique can catch up with his physical gifts, he could very well be the biggest steal of his entire draft class.

That's not to say that Bears fans should expect van den Berg to light up minicamp practices this week. He needs plenty of refinement and coaching up in his game to reach his ceiling in the NFL. But if he's going to make an impact as a rookie, he should show flashes this week at minicamp practices, and Bears fans would do well to keep a close eye on him.

Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears Newsletter

Add us as a preferred source on Google