The Chicago Bears welcomed their new rookies — including their seven-player draft class, 13 undrafted rookie signings and a handful of tryout players — to Halas Hall for rookie minicamp this weekend.
The Bears kicked things off by signing four of their rookie draft picks on Friday — wide receiver Zavion Thomas, cornerback Malik Muhammad, linebacker Keyshaun Elliott and defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, as well as 13 undrafted rookies.
With the media in attendance at the first day of rookie minicamp, there were some notable highlights and takeaways from the on-field action. Here are some quick takeaways following Friday’s practice:
Dillon Thieneman’s leadership on display
All eyes were on Bears first-round safety Dillon Thieneman, who has the most potential to make an immediate impact in his rookie season. Outside of his on-field performance, where Clay Harbor noted his “impressive” change of direction, it was Thieneman’s leadership that left a mark on one media member.
“What I was most impressed by was his acumen, his leadership,” said Herb Howard. “He was first in line in every single drill throughout the individual periods and during the team periods. He was communicating. He was where he was supposed to be. There was one particular space where they made a mistake with miscommunication. I asked him about that during his press conference and he said, ‘Listen, we miscommunicated. The mistake was on me. we ran it back and got it corrected.’ That’s all you want to see from these kids right now. They’re going to make mistakes. You don’t want to see them make the very same mistake twice.”
Zavion Thomas’ speed is already showing up
The Bears added some serious speed with third-round wide receiver Zavion Thomas, who ran a 4.2 40-yard dash and presents as a downfield threat for Ben Johnson’s offense. That speed showed up on Day 1 of rookie minicamp, where multiple media members noted his speedy impression.
“Thomas looks explosive, speed def shows up,” wrote Clay Harbor. “Surprised at how natural he catches the ball with his hands.”
While it’s a practice in shorts, Thomas’ speed is as advertised, and it was especially prevalent in kick return drills.
“He absolutely looked the part,” said Herb Howard. “You could see the 4.2 speed when he decided to hit the gas pedal and accelerate. You can see a different gear from him than everybody else out there on the field. What I noticed from him during the kick return drills is they were simulating kick returns. He is a natural catcher of the football out of the air in terms of kicks. You could see him catch the ball seamlessly and get right into his first step.”
Malik Muhammad putting in the work with Al Harris
After he was drafted by the Bears, fourth-round cornerback Malik Muhammad expressed his desire to work with defensive backs coach Al Harris, given his reputation. Well, he didn’t have to wait long to work with him, especially as Harris really put him to the test on Day 1, shifting him from the outside to the slot and coaching him hard.
“(Thomas) was a guy who was out there early and often even as the team periods kind of shift and they went to second team,” said Herb Howard. “He would go from outside corner to inside corner at nickel and DB coach Al Harris was all over him every single play, every minute detail. He wanted him to get it right, to do it again. Almost every single play you saw coach Harris talking to number 24, praising him, correcting him, making sure he knew exactly what he was supposed to do. To me, that is a good sign for a young player that your coach is all over you, making sure that you are harping on the details, knowing exactly where you’re supposed to be and what you are supposed to be doing. If that if that continues, it’s probably going to be a long spring and summer for Malik Muhammad, but he’s going to be so much better off forward.”
As for how Muhammad looked in early action, Howard praised him for his play in space, as well as his versatility.
“He looked pretty good out there in space,” Howard said. “He was able to transition seamlessly from outside to inside. He should be a pretty good depth piece and maybe even contend for some playing time as a rookie.”
Clay Harbor noted that Muhammad had some “nice reps” where his “quickness shows up.”
Sam Roush is massive
While it’s difficult to evaluate third-round tight end Sam Roush at this point, especially considering he’s going to serve as a key blocker once the pads go on, that doesn’t mean he didn’t leave an impression with his size and speed.
“Sam Roush is a LARGE human but still can move,” wrote Clay Harbor. “Really impressive quicks for a big man.”
Added Mark Carman: “Sam Roush has an NFL body.”
Scotty Miller had the play of the day
While this is rookie minicamp, it was a veteran tryout player who had the play of the day during Friday’s practice. According to the media, wide receiver Scotty Miller made a nice catch on a deep ball from Western Kentucky quarterback Maverick McIvor on the very last play of the day.
“The very last play of 7-on-7 drills featured a one-on-one play with Miller and a defensive back,” wrote Chris Kwiecinski. “Western Kentucky Rookie tryout quarterback Maverick McIvor gave Miller a deep ball to the right sideline, and Miller tracked the ball down for a low catch.
“It was a veteran play. Miller was able to beat the defender while also tracking the deep ball in the air. He finished the play by locating a catch window and dropped low to get the football. It’s a tough play to make.”
It certainly sounds like Miller is making a strong case to stick around beyond rookie minicamp.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 takeaways from Day 1 of Bears rookie minicamp
Reporting by Alyssa Barbieri, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
