Chicago Bears OTAs Preview: Underrated position battles to watch throughout the roster outside of starting competitions
The Chicago Bears have three starting positions up for grabs starting in OTAs later this week, but there are other underrated roster battles not including starting positions set to unfold that are still worth watching.
When the Chicago Bears open organized team activities on Wednesday, at least three starting positions will be monitored closely, even if the coaching staff claims starting jobs aren’t on the line this early in the offseason.
Those starting battles to watch are left tackle (Braxton Jones vs. Jedrick Wills Jr. vs. Theo Benedet), center (Garrett Bradbury vs. Logan Jones) and outside cornerback (Tyrique Stevenson, Malik Muhammad, Terell Smith).
What about some other underrated roster battles to watch unfold during OTAs? Let’s explore a few different ones and the players looking to stand out in practice.
Underrated roster battles to watch during Bears OTAs
Jordan McFadden vs. Luke Newman vs. Caden Barnett
While team’s usually deploy five offensive linemen on the starting lineup, the Bears used a sixth offensive lineman on 19 dropbacks and 30 rushing attempts during the 2025 season. It was a hidden part of Ben Johnson’s offense for a coach that believes in having multiple options beyond the starting five on the offensive front.
Last season, Jordan McFadden became a unsung hero when he was called upon to start at left guard in the NFC Divisional Round matchup when All-Pro Joe Thuney kicked over to left tackle. It was McFadden’s first start of the season and proved how much the coaching staff trusted him in such a big moment.
Chicago’s 2025 sixth-round pick, Luke Newman, got some action as well as a rookie logging 22 offensive snaps as a backup guard. He’s firmly in the mix to compete for a roster spot, but the level of competition increased for him going into Year 2 after the Bears brought in Caden Barnett as a priority undrafted free agent.
“I think he plays the game the way we want to play it,” Johnson said of Barnett. “There’s a physical demeanor about him. That’s what stands out first and foremost. I think we got a couple really good offensive line coaches that when we have a guy that has traits like that, that are harder to coach, that you can help clean up the technique and things of that nature. So when the mind’s right, I have a lot of confidence in our coaching staff to get the rest of it.”
Brittain Brown vs. Roschon Johnson vs. Coleman Bennett vs. Salvon Ahmed
Chicago ended the 2025 season with the NFC’s top rushing attack, which was mainly fueled by D’Andre Swift and 2025 seventh-round pick Kyle Monangai. The two ended up being the only RB duo in the NFL to each rush for 750+ yards and are expected to be a challenging one-two punch to defend against this season.
Behind those two, the Bears will have an open competition for the RB3 spot on the roster. Last season, the Bears kept Roschon Johnson on the 53-man roster but he only played four offensive snaps. When Swift went down for one game in Week 9, the team called up Brittain Brown from the practice squad, who totaled 37 yards and a touchdown as the complement to Monangai.
This year, two new backs join the roster in rookie UDFA Coleman Bennett and veteran Salvon Ahmed, two players that new RBs coach Eric Studesville pushed to add to his backfield to elevate the competition in that room.
“I think that Coach Studesville did a great job identifying a player that’s a darn good football player and instinctive,” Johnson said of Coleman. “He has a knack about him that he we like to use this term, trim the fat, and you can kind of see that when he runs the football, he stays tight to his blockers and when you do that, it’s more glancing blows. So it’s a skill that translates to this level and so we’re really hopeful that he’ll we’ll be able to see over the course of the spring.”
D’Marco Jackson vs. Keyshaun Elliott vs. Jack Sanborn
The Bears overhauled the linebacker room this offseason after releasing Tremaine Edmunds and replacing him with Devin Bush to start alongside T.J. Edwards. Chicago then re-signed D’Marco Jackson, brought back Jack Sanborn, and drafted Keyshaun Elliott.
As Edwards continues rehabbing the fractured fibula he suffered late last season, the team doesn’t expect him to be on the field for OTAs. The same goes for Noah Sewell, who suffered a torn Achilles late in the regular season.
That opens the door for Jackson, Elliott, and Sanborn to earn plenty of opportunities alongside Bush with the starting defense. The LB3 role is up for grabs and standing out on special teams will go a long way toward earning a roster spot.
Jordan van den Berg vs. Neville Gallimore vs. Kentavius Street vs. James Lynch vs. Jayden Loving
Another position on the roster the Bears heavily addressed was the interior of the defensive line. Behind Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter, the Bears added three veterans in free agency, a high-upside Day 3 draft pick, and a highly athletic priority UDFA.
That’ll set up for some exciting competition on the interior of the front after a porous showing from last year’s unit that had a combined 22 pressures and one sack (not including Jarrett and Dexter).
van den Berg is the most exciting option to watch. The rookie fits Dennis Allen’s scheme perfectly and brings the high football character the team values. Gallimore’s two-year deal puts him in a favorable position as well. And don’t sleep on what Loving could show either.
Jahdae Walker vs. Scotty Miller
To me, the Bears already have four roster locks at the wide receiver position between Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, and third-round rookie Zavion Thomas. As much as the fans (including myself) like Jahdae Walker, I’m not so sure he’s a lock.
Walker is certainly in the lead position to be the WR5 on the roster heading into OTAs, but he’ll have to continue impressing. He’s already off to a strong start after working out with Caleb Williams and other pass catchers this offseason.
The real sleeper to watch in the wide receiver room is Scotty Miller. The veteran wide receiver, and former Super Bowl champ, was turning heads during his tryout at rookie minicamp and earned high praise from the staff. I can see him being a top target working with Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum well into the preseason.
“There is some shared experiences. Looking forward to seeing him run around and compete a little bit,” Johnson said of Miller. “From afar, I’ve been able to see the speed, the quickness and that is certainly very intriguing.”