Bears rookies impress during Week 1 preseason matchup with Dolphins

The Chicago Bears‘ preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins ended in a 24-24 tie, but the final score really isn’t what matters. Instead, the performance of the team’s young players — especially in the first preseason game — is what’s really important.

For the Bears, that means their 2025 rookie class. It’s a group that has a chance to be a huge contributor in Year 1, beginning at the top with first-round pick Colston Loveland.

The first-round tight end didn’t play much, but he was targeted twice and caught one pass for eight yards. Ben Johnson said after the game that they were careful with how many snaps Loveland received because of the amount of reps he’s had in practice, which limited his opportunities against the Dolphins.

There was some concern about Loveland’s health after Chicago drafted him 10th overall — he was recovering from offseason shoulder surgery. But after lining up against the Dolphins and taking a few hard falls to the ground, there’s no doubt he’s fully recovered.

Second-round picks Luther Burden III and Ozzy Trapilo both played Sunday, and they put enough reps on tape to give the coaching staff a solid evaluation heading into Week 2.

Burden was targeted three times; he caught two passes for 27 yards, including a heads-up play at the end of the first half. Burden got out of bounds with one second left on the clock, leading to a Bears field goal.

He had a third-down conversion in the first half, too.

Burden was a missed read away from scoring a touchdown early in the game as well.

As for Ozzy Trapilo, he rotated with Theo Benedet in the second half and, based on television copy, looked solid. We’ll have to take a look at the All-22 to confirm his overall strong day, but at first glance, Trapilo will give the Chicago Bears’ coaching staff a lot to think about when they update the team’s depth chart next week.

Linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II, the Bears’ fourth-round pick, was a pleasant surprise. After being deemed a 2025 NFL draft reach, he led the team with six tackles and one tackle for loss. His athleticism certainly stood out, as did his instincts to find and finish.

Seventh-round running back Kyle Monangai looked like he belonged, too. He finished the game with a team-best six carries for 30 yards. He showcased the bowling-ball style that resulted in him being one of the most productive rushers in the Big 10 over the last two seasons.

There’s no doubt Monangai is on this roster. The only question that remains is how much he’ll chew into D’Andre Swift’s workload by the time the regular season rolls around.

And let’s not overlook undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker, who caught three passes for 41 yards and a touchdown (the sweet fade in the end zone from Case Keenum). Walker is a big dude — 6’3, 206 pounds — who ran a 4.43 40-yard dash at his Texas A&M pro day. He was hard to miss in the second half and took a huge step toward making the final roster over an incumbent veteran like Tyler Scott.

Overall, it was a good start for a Chicago Bears draft class that has a bright future in 2025 and beyond.

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