The Chicago Bears made necessary upgrades in the trenches, but the team is still facing an uphill battle to make the postseason in Ben Johnson’s first season as head coach.
The Bears kicked off practice for OTAs this week. All eyes are on second-year quarterback Caleb Williams to develop this season. But he and obvious choices like Rome Odunze are not the only young players who need to take a leap this spring.
Here are three under-the-radar players that must develop in a big way this summer for the Bears to have a chance at making a playoff push in 2025.
Chicago Bears players who must develop in 2025
Defensive end Austin Booker
When was the last time a Bears draft pick recorded a 10+ sack season in Chicago? You’d have to go back as far as 2006 when then-rookie Mark Anderson recorded 12 sacks on a Bears team that made it to Super Bowl XLI.
The Bears have struggled with homegrown talent at defensive end. The likely starters at DE this season will be Montez Sweat (who Chicago traded for in 2023) and Dayo Odeyingbo, who was signed in free agency this March.
The Bears would like to see Booker, their fifth-round pick in 2024, develop into a solid pass rusher. He recorded 14 tackles and 1.5 sacks in his rookie season.
Booker might have been a higher draft pick if waited to join the 2025 class. Chicago needs him to be a force as a pass rusher if Odeyingbo has another 3 sack season.
Offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo
On Wednesday, the Bears gave Kiran Amegadjie snaps with the first team at left tackle. That may have been a formality until Trapilo, the No. 56 pick, shows what he can do as a rookie when the pads come on.
Braxton Jones will have a chance to earn and keep his spot as the starter, but at six-foot-eight, 316 pounds, Trapilo appears to be Chicago’s long-term solution at left tackle. If he can prove to be an upgrade for the Bears at left tackle, the offensive line could be one of the better units in the league.
Tyrique Stevenson
The Bears traded up to land Tyrique Stevenson with the No. 56 pick in the 2023 draft. To put it bluntly, he hasn’t been worth the trade.
Stevenson has been credited with giving up 13 touchdowns in two seasons. He’s recorded six interceptions and has 23 pass breakups. Per Pro Football Focus, Stevenson has earned a 60.2 overall grade for 2023 and 58.9 for 2024. He was ranked 134th out of 222 cornerbacks last season.
New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen needs Stevenson to play disciplined football in 2025. Stevenson has talented leadership around him at cornerback with Kyler Gordon and Jaylon Johnson. It’s time for Stevenson to up his game in Year 3.
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