Rookies in Wide-Open Competition

Bears second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson hasn't been gifted the starting left cornerback spot because he has better draft pedigree than Terell Smith.

Forget the second-round status for Tyrique Stevenson in April's draft and the fifth-round status owned by fellow rookie cornerback Terell Smith.

The hottest job competition in training camp is for the starting left cornerback spot between these two and it's not simply because it's the only real starting job battle.

Oh, there is the starting strongside linebacker battle but when Jack Sanborn is healthy enough to practice this seems a foregone conclusion. 

The left cornerback spot, however, is a real coin toss it seems. Coaches haven't told Stevenson or Smith one way or the other who's leading, after it appeared Stevenson was initially in command at OTAs.

"It's a competition until the end," Stevenson said Tuesday, as the pads came on for the first time. "We both got drafted. For opportunities, it really doesn't matter where you got drafted at.

"At the end of the day, he comes in every day with his head down willing to work just as I am. I had a couple slip-ups as a rookie. They didn’t tell me anything but they made it real clear that it's going to be a competition. I didn’t earn anything. I have no stripes in the league."

It's been one or the other with starters through each training camp practice. They alternate series of reps with the first team. 

It's a friendly battle,g but heated nonetheless.

"Every day we come in we smile at each other," Stevenson said. "We also know that we're both working for the same position."

Stevenson, the former Miami player, had a big interception of Justin Fields Monday  after it seemed momentum had found its way to the side of the former Minnesota cornerback.

For Stevenson, it's a matter of knowing the scheme better and feeling more comfortable. He clearly has the physical skills to be a starter.

“I will say these last few days have kind of been better," Stevenson said.

He was thinking on the sidelines Tuesday that the whole process was slowing down, but this could be a bit premature to think this. Cornerback Kyler Gordon said it took him almost all last season before it really did become second nature.

"There’s a lot of things going on, but I'm starting to get better with it, starting to really understand the playbook and understand what these coaches and this entire organization wants from me," Stevenson said.

Some of what he needs to gain is the tough lesson that comes from facing NFL receivers.

"I'd say my knowledge of the game, my understanding of what comes with certain players and what comes with certain down-and-distances and stuff," Stevenson said. "Basically, just understanding what type of player I'm going against.

"Chase Claypool is totally different than DJ Moore. I don't want to say I struggle with it, but having that mental capacity to be able to switch in and out instead of going out there like I'm in college and just playing everybody the same way."

When Stevenson called this a friendly competition and that the two smile at each other, it goes beyond this.

The two help each other out with coverages or assignments they might be unfamiliar with during practice.

"Some of the things that we installed in practice he didn't run in college and I kind of ran in college," Stevenson said. "So if I'm in meetings and coach is talking and I can see the confusion in his face, (I'll) give me some tips and it's the same way.

"As far as taking care of ourselves, we throw things back at each other because we're asking questions, pretty much asking the same question in different ways. So we'll throw things back at each other to be able to come in and recoup and to be able to come in and show our best for practice."

There is no favorite or leader in the eyes of coach Matt Eberflus.

It did start out in the off-season with Stevenson ahead, but Smith was sidelined by injury part of OTAs and minicamp. Things changed quickly at the start of training camp.

This has three preseason games and the rest of training camp before it runs its course.

"I would just say that it's been open," Eberflus said. "Smitty has done a good job of making plays—in the backup role he started making plays—so we gave him the competition to work with the ones.

"And as with any rookies, you're going to have some ups and downs during training camp because they're learning the position, they're learning themselves. 

"This is a different game up here because you're playing against DJ Moore and (Darnell) Mooney and some different dudes, which is a little bit different than college, of course. And they're learning how to do that. They're getting better every day."

 In the end, one will be better and he'll start against the Green Bay Packers Sept. 12 at Soldier Field.

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