The Chicago Bears are set to begin their minicamp this week, where the first real step towards the 2026 season will begin after the NFL draft and OTAs have already concluded.
The Bears will hold three minicamp practices, which are mandatory compared to voluntary OTAs, from June 9-11, before breaking for the summer. While there are no pads involved in minicamp, it signals the first real competition for position battles that will be key to monitor throughout the summer.
Here at Bears Wire, we’re breaking down the top position battles to watch for during the summer days for Chicago, including multiple positions which will see young players get an opportunity to rise up and earn a bigger role with the team, starting during minicamp.
Center
Following the sudden retirement of veteran Drew Dalman after just one season with the Bears, Chicago’s front office moved quickly to try and reset their center position. First, they traded for veteran Garrett Bradbury from the New England Patriots, who comes to the team with just one-year left on his contract and a highly-touted rookie looking over his shoulder.
In the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft, the Bears selected Iowa center Logan Jones, the Remmington Trophy award winner from this past college football season. Jones has been praised for his tenacity, consistency, and pedigree where he was viewed as one of the top centers in the nation during his collegiate career with the Hawkeyes. It’ll be a tall task for a rookie to come in and get the starting nod in Ben Johnson’s offense, but there’s been plenty of praise for Jones, who could turn up the heat on the veteran Bradbury.
Left tackle
A position where the Bears have not been able to find their cornerstone player for a multitude of reasons, the competition will be wide open this summer. It had appeared that Ozzy Trapilo could be the lead guy at left tackle late last season, but a ruptured patellar tendon will force him to miss most of this season, leaving the door open for veterans to compete for the starting job.
Braxton Jones, Jedrick Wills Jr., Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie are all in the race for the starting job, with Jones the presumed favorite due to experience and familiarity with the team. Jones has been serviceable in his time as a starter, but has never presented himself to be a true anchor in the way that right tackle Darnell Wright has been since his arrival.
Cornerback
Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are the two top cornerbacks on the roster, but behind them there are questions to be answered. After the departure of Nahshon Wright this offseason, there’s an opportunity for veteran Tyrique Stevenson to get back into a starting role after being surpassed by Wright last year.
Stevenson will not have it easy however, as the team drafted Malik Muhammad in the fourth round of this year’s draft, a pick that many analysts have been very high on. If defensive backs coach Al Harris can get the rookie to buy in on the defensive scheme and identity, Muhammad could find himself starting opposite of Johnson, or it could be Stevenson stepping up to show a growth and maturity in his game. Terell Smith should also factor into the competition.
Wide receiver
Following the trade of veteran DJ Moore to Buffalo this offseason, the Bears have a wide open opportunity for two of their top young talents. The assumption is that Rome Odunze, the 2024 first-round pick, will be the team’s top target in the passing game, but what about last year’s second-round pick Luther Burden III? He’s expected to see an expanded role in, at worst, the No. 2 spot, but he could challenge Odunze.
Not only is the No. 1 receiver position up for a battle, but so is the No. 3 receiver spot, which could come down to veteran Kalif Raymond up against rookie Zavion Thomas. Both Raymond and Thomas have unique abilities that could see them serve best as special teams contributors, but Odunze and Burden will not be able to carry the entire position group on their own. How Chicago’s wide receiver depth chart shakes out is going to be one of the more important and intriguing battles this summer.
Long snapper
A battle that not many will circle on their roster sheets, the long snapper contest will be between two young, inexperienced players in first-year player Luke Elkin and rookie Beau Gardner. Elkin was signed as undrafted free agent last season by Chicago, ultimately released before the season began, and after a brief stint with Las Vegas, he’s back with the Bears.
Competing with Elkin will be Gardner, who split his collegiate career between Georgia and UCLA and was signed by the Bears as an undrafted free agent this offseason. Chicago let veteran Scott Daly walk this offseason, showing some sense of belief in the two young players that they have on their roster, which will hold big in terms of special teams play in both the kicking and punting games.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 position battles to watch as Chicago Bears kick off minicamp
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire | USA TODAY Network
