RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Tuesday night, Bears rookie receiver Zavion Thomas sent veteran Kalif Raymond a video of the ankle exercises he does every night before bed.
Typically during training camp , it’s the other way around.
“It's a vet-type mindset to be disciplined and do something like that,” said Raymond, who is entering his 10 th season in the NFL but first with the Bears. “And when he showed me that video, I was just happy to know that that's who he is.”
The speedster’s focus — he follows Raymond around like a pilot fish — is one of the most encouraging rookie developments during training camp. As the Bears' draft picks prepare for their first preseason game Aug. 15, here’s a look at some rookie training camp superlatives:
Most pressure on him: S Dillon Thieneman
The injury to fellow safety Coby Bryant has put more attention on the Bears’ first-round pick — and forced him to learn the position without on-field help from the team’s biggest free-agent addition for at least the next two months.
“Everything's starting to slow down,” Thieneman said. “Starting to pick up things, tendencies from the offense and just building more connection with the guys on defense.”
Coach Ben Johnson has noticed. When he watched film of Tuesday’s practice, he saw, for the first time, something closely resembling Thieneman’s college tape.
“You can see that play speed start to show up,” Johnson said.
Thieneman is still thinking too much. But Johnson thinks that he’ll begin to play more instinctively with more practice time.
Biggest surprise: DT Jordan van den Berg
The South African actually took some snaps with the first team during the Beas’ run-game drills Thursday. For someone the Bears drafted as a project, that’s remarkable.
The sixth-round pick’s physical profile and athleticism scored high on the Bears’ pre-draft evaluation sheet. Now they’re starting to notice his football instincts.
“I think we all see it on the field — that he's a really good player,” defensive end Austin Booker said.
Most versatile weapon: WR Zavion Thomas
Johnson plans to use Thomas split wide, in the slot and maybe even at running back. Thomas’ speed — he ran the third-fastest 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine this year — makes him Johnson’s new favorite toy.
The LSU alum slots comfortably as the Bears’ fourth wide receiver. And, if you blur your eyes, maybe their third running back.
"I'm a great athlete — I can do whatever on the football field," he said. "I can throw, too."
Training camp is where he can earn those chances.
"That comes on the meeting room first, of earning some trust to get your reps, of showing that you can be trusted when you get there," offensive coordinator Press Taylor said. “And then being able to do something with it.”
The 2026 backup: C Logan Jones
When the Bears drafted Jones in Round 2 out of Iowa, they swore that the plan remained for Garrett Bradbury to start this season, the last one on his contract. They’ve kept their pledge, with the eighth-year vet making every snap for the first team.
“We’re cooking right now with him out there,” Johnson said. “Really pleased with what that’s looked like.”
The Bears drafted Jones thinking he’d be their long-awaited answer at center — save for Drew Dalman’s one Pro Bowl year — in 2027. It’d likely take an injury for Jones to start before then.
Wrong place, wrong time: CB Malik Muhammad II
Muhammad didn’t play the slot at Texas. The Bears need a slot corner.
Kyler Gordon is hurt. His replacement, Cam Lewis, had to move to safety once Bryant was injured. When Jaylon Jones couldn’t finish Thursday’s practice, Muhammad got to play with the first team as the nickel cornerback. The fourth-round pick profiles as a backup outside corner — and seems to have the edge on the oft-injured Terell Smith in that regard. He’s learning the slot, but the Bears need help there now.
‘I want to see him go out and compete,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said. “I want to see him play physical in the run game. I want to see him be sticky in coverage.”
Incomplete grade: LB Keyshaun Elliott
The former Sun Devil has been on the Physically Unable to Perform list with a back injury since the start of training camp.
Biggest goofball: TE Sam Roush
The third-round pick from Stanford has to be seen up close to be appreciated: like fellow tight ends Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, Roush has the strength and nasty streak to truck a defensive back with the ball in his hands.
The Bears couldn’t say that for sure until they put on pads Monday. Then it became obvious.
“He's a stud,” Loveland said. “He's huge, first off. Big guy, super-fast, strong. And just seeing him … with the pads on, he's going to be a weapon.”
Like Kmet and Loveland, he can be a bit silly. In Stanford tight end tradition, he took his senior year mug shot with dorky glasses, complete with tape on the bridge.
“He's fun to have in the room,” Kmet said. “We have [alums from] Stanford, Michigan, Notre Dame. it displays as a smarter room than it actually is.”
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