LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — Two weeks after adding eight new players in the NFL Draft, the Bears held rookie minicamp at Halas Hall over the weekend.
The rookie minicamp roster featured those eight draft picks, 10 undrafted free agents, six players entering their second NFL season and 23 rookies on tryouts. The only player who didn't participate was tight end Colston Loveland, the No. 10 overall pick in the NFL Draft, who's still recovering from shoulder surgery.
Here's a look at what we learned at Bears rookie minicamp.
Ben Johnson is setting a new standard
OTAs, veteran minicamp and a long training camp will await the Bears before their season opener, and head coach Ben Johnson doesn't expect anyone to be perfect in the coming months.
“We're going to make a lot of mistakes,” Johnson said. “I think I've been pretty open and honest about that since I came into the building here. We encourage that. We need that. That's how we grow and so those mistakes are going to happen.”
What was clear during rookie minicamp is that Johnson and his staff will be demanding of their players as they work to correct and eliminate mistakes.
On Saturday morning, the Bears’ running backs participated in a drill in which each player shuffled over blocking pads, turned around and caught a short pass. New running backs coach Eric Bieniemy shared plenty of feedback with his unit, utilizing language that wouldn’t have made “Hard Knocks” with the Bears last summer.
New Bears offensive line coach Dan Roushar and assistant offensive line coach Kyle DeVan emphasized technique with their position group. Longtime linebackers coach Richard Smith was ever present in directing his players.
Johnson spent his first practices as a head coach roaming the fields, viewing drills and providing his own input.
“I'm a big fan,” Loveland said of Johnson. “I love his spirit. His energy. He's super determined. He's ready to go. He's ready to take this thing to the top. He's no nice guy.
“I’ve seen him getting on people's butts. Fired up too. Super excited. I'm loving how he coaches. It's early. But I'm excited to play for him.”
One league source familiar with Johnson’s work and leadership style believed he's the ideal fit for the Bears in large part because of how his demeanor could suit a team that seemed to check out on former head coach Matt Eberlus amid a 10-game losing streak last season. Another source called Johnson as a pleasant individual inside Halas Hall who then turns into a different person between the lines during practice.
Johnson offered a wry smile when describing how he plans to coach the Bears each practice.
“Varies,” Johnson said. “It varies based on what we’re seeing. A little bit of a counterbalance and a pendulum. As things go one direction, I like to try to keep things centered to a degree. I think you’ll see a lot of different personality styles come out, not just with me but with the rest of the coaching staff as well, as we work to get to know our players a little bit better and what they need to be pushed.”
Trapilo begins work at left tackle
Part of the Bears' fascination in making offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo a second-round pick was his ability to play both tackle positions.
Trapilo played left tackle at Boston College in 2022 before switching to right tackle for 2023 and 2024. He didn't commit a single penalty during the 2024 season.
“In a way, if you’re more used to playing right tackle at speed and you’re still consistent with left, you feel good at left,” Trapilo said. “It’s almost easier when you’re learning new technique because you don’t get into that flow state. You know your habits are all coming back, you’re hyper-focused on every movement because it’s not as natural. So in a way it feels smoother, it feels easier to adapt to this new coaching style, new techniques and all of the above.”
At rookie minicamp, Trapilo primarily focused on playing left tackle. During individual drills, he dropped back in a stance that featured technique for a left tackle. It seems that’s where he’ll work – for now.
The Bears could use Trapilo to right tackle if two-year starting right tackle Darnell Wright shifts to the left tackle position. That’s a possibility the Bears could investigate this offseason, but they want to be sure about such a decision before committing to it.
Three-year starting left tackle Braxton Jones continues to recover from ankle surgery and likely won’t be ready for the start of training camp. So there’s an opening at that position for the time being.
The Bears aren’t concerned about Trapilo's ability to handle what's thrown at him.
“He's exactly what we thought he was going to be,” Johnson said. “He's super smart.”
A scare for Burden
Bears rookie receiver Luther Burden III delivered one of the highlights of the weekend late Saturday morning by extending for a deep ball down the sideline and holding on as he hit the ground.
But Burden was slow to get up, creating some concern at Halas Hall. He was in clear discomfort and evaluated by head athletic trainer Andre Tucker. It came as practice was winding down and the Bears didn't share any update, so it wasn’t clear what happened next for Burden.
However, Burden was back out with the Bears for practice Sunday, an indication that he avoided an actual injury. Burden likely just had the wind knocked out of him and soreness after hitting the ground hard.
With Loveland sidelined from practice, Burden was the marquee player on the field for the Bears this past weekend. The 39th overall pick in the second round, Burden was honest in sharing his disappointment in not being selected in the first round.
“That’s staying with me forever,” Burden said. “Everybody who passed on me is going to pay.”
Burden has the opportunity to play a key role alongside top receiver DJ Moore and second-year receiver Rome Odunze. Though the Bears weren’t necessarily seeking a wide receiver in the second round of the NFL Draft, Burden’s talent was too great to pass on.
Now, Burden intends to prove the Bears’ belief was correct.
Who’s ready to run?
With free agency and the NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, the Bears’ running back picture still isn’t quite clear.
The Bears didn't sign or draft a high-profile running back. Their main addition to the group was the selection of Rutgers running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh round. That means D’Andre Swift remains – for the time being – the team's top running back.
Despite questions, Bears offensive coordinator Declan Doyle likes the mix at the position.
“My short exposure to D’Andre Swift has been really positive,” Doyle said. “He has been really attentive. He’s a pro. Obviously, you like what he does in the passing game and he’s going to be a home run hitter as a runner. Adding Kyle (Monangai) to that mix is going to be awesome, with the group that’s in there with Roschon (Johnson) and those guys.
“I think that we’re going to find out more about this group as we move forward.”
Veteran running backs Nick Chubb and J.K. Dobbins remain available in free agency, but for now, the Bears are comfortable moving forward with the Swift-Johnson-Monangai trio as they hope to find the answer from within.
Hyppolite’s perspective
In a surprise move, the Bears selected Maryland linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II in the fourth round of the NFL Draft.
Many projections had Hyppolite as a late-round pick or going undrafted. He wasn’t invited to the NFL Combine in late February, an indication of how league scouts viewed him as a prospect.
Hyppolite is taking all of that in stride and is eager to prove scouts wrong.
“Misery loves company,” Hyppolite said. “It’s a lot of people who didn’t know what I had to go through to get this opportunity. Just look at my story — not going to the Combine, not going to the Senior Bowl, Shrine Bowl. I had the Hula Bowl, which I give a lot of credit to Nick Logan for trusting in me to play in that game. But just that, and then I called the NFS twice to see if I had a Combine invite. They said no, so just going through that. And then going through training the whole Combine season, just chopping wood, carrying water and going through it every day. Then having my one opportunity at Pro Day, doing that, and then I went on like 15 visits. Took like 30 flights in two weeks, just back and forth across the country, you know, doing my meetings and stuff like that. All of that is just a culmination of me getting my opportunity now. I definitely don’t take it for granted. I’m very grateful for everybody upstairs for believing in me and my ability.
“I just love my story for anyone who’s out there who thinks that they need things like the Combine, things like a Senior Bowl invite – who think that they need those things to get drafted. You don’t. You just got to put your best foot forward. You got to run fast. And you’ve just got to be your best self every day, and I feel like I’m showing that. I’ve got a lot of messages, a lot of love, a lot of hate too, but that’s what comes with it, so I’m all for it.”
Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670.