Countdown to Bears Training Camp: NT Khyiris Tonga

Chicago Bears 2022 training camp kicks off July 26 and will run through September 1. It’ll be an exciting time for a Bears roster that has undergone a significant makeover in general manager Ryan Poles’ first offseason. He’s added a blend of rookies and veterans who will compete for starting jobs on both sides of the ball, and with a new coaching staff in charge of the depth chart, Chicago will be a meritocracy in 2022.

In this series on Bears Talk, we’ll countdown the days until training camp with player spotlights. Next up: nose tackle Khyiris Tonga.

Background

The Chicago Bears selected Khyiris Tonga in the seventh round of the 2021 NFL draft after a quality collegiate career at BYU. Tonga appeared in 47 games for the Cougars and profiled as a quality early-down run-stuffer. He was a perfect fit for the 3-4 scheme the Bears deployed before coach Matt Eberflus’ arrival. But switching to a 4-3 alignment creates questions about Tonga’s role.

Khyiris Tonga logged 217 snaps as a rookie and totaled 24 tackles. He emerged as a quality selection from former general manager Ryan Pace’s final draft with the Bears.

2022 Outlook

Khyiris Tonga, listed at 338 pounds on the Bears” website, has to prove early in training camp that he has enough juice off the snap to warrant a significant role on defense in 2022. The three-technique will garner more attention this summer, with players like Justin Jones and Mario Edwards vying for the starting job. But a nose tackle is still required in the defensive front, and Tonga has a chance to emerge as a first-teamer. He’ll battle veteran Angelo Blackson for the gig. Blackson totaled 584 snaps in 2021. He should begin summer practices as the starter, but Tonga’s size/power combination makes him an appealing asset on running downs.

Regardless of where Khyiris Tonga ends up on the depth chart, he’ll have little trouble making the final roster. He’s a player to watch as an ascending 26-year-old. Tonga has legitimate starter’s upside at a position without an obvious one on the roster.