Another Ryan Poles draft class is entering a crossroads year with mounting pressure and plenty to prove starting in training camp
The Chicago Bears have multiple former draft picks from Ryan Poles’ second draft class in 2023 set to enter into a contract year with plenty to start proving when training camp kicks off.
It’s fair to say that Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles had some disappointing first few years leading the organization until working alongside head coach Ben Johnson to lay out a better blueprint for acquiring talent.
Poles’ first few draft classes with the team can be described as shaky at best, and more along the lines of disappointing. Out of his first draft class in 2022, only Kyler Gordon, Braxton Jones, and Elijah Hicks remain on the roster on second contracts while former draft picks such as Jaquan Brisker and Dominque Robinson were allowed to walk out of the door after playing out their rookie contracts. And then there’s the busts such as Velus Jones Jr. and Trestan Ebner.
With training camp set to open in just a few days, the attention now turns to Poles’ second class from the 2023 draft, which includes more players with uncertain futures. The one exception is former first-round right tackle Darnell Wright, who’s currently in negotiations on a long-term contract. Everyone else, that’s still left in Chicago, is expected to enter the 2026 season without a new deal in place.
Let’s take a look at the current standing of each of those players and what they need to show to maybe earn a second contract of their own in Chicago.
Former 2023 draft picks set to enter the final year of their rookie contracts with the Chicago Bears
DT Gervon Dexter Sr.
After selecting Darnell Wright in the Top-10 of the first-round and passing on Jalen Carter, Poles’ second selection of the 2023 NFL Draft was a different defensive tackle in Gervon Dexter Sr., a massive player that had plenty of untapped potential coming out of Florida. The main problem facing Dexter is that we’re now heading into Year 4 of his career and still haven’t seen him come close to reaching that ceiling outside of inconsistent flashes.
“You’ll see it quickly, like as soon as you turn on it, or you go out there, you’re gonna see it’s a whole different person,” Dexter said during the spring. “…I’m looking at it as it’s another year for me to grow as a player, to get better. I’m here to help this team win.”
The problem is, the Bears have been hearing that same talk for the last two years, and some Bears fans are tired of hearing it. Talk is cheap, and people are ready to see Dexter actually round the corner and be a real impact player for this defense.
Dexter has started 33 games for the Bears, including all 17 games last season. He’s shown productive flashes in the past but the coaches are challenging him to be a much more consistent player before committing to him long-term.
Chicago added multiple bodies to the interior as well this offseason to put even more pressure behind Dexter to step up such as Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, James Lynch, and Jordan van den Berg. After generating trade rumors earlier this offseason, Dexter still being on the roster entering camp is a positive sign for him, but that doesn’t mean things can’t eventually change if he doesn’t improve.
CB Tyrique Stevenson
A few picks later in the second-round, Poles drafted cornerback Tyrique Stevenson. Like Dexter, Stevenson has started multiple games for the Bears over the last three seasons but has struggled to be a consistent player the team can rely on.
Things, however, have been more rocky for Stevenson after being pulled from the starting lineup and out-right benched on numerous occasions. Stevenson has all the ability to be a starting cornerback in the league and at times has just infamously let himself get in his own way at times. Yet, it seems like he’s finally turning the page this year.
“Toward the end of the year, I thought he was excellent in terms of how he was handling himself, being accountable. I think that led into the guy we’re seeing right now,” DBs coach Al Harris said of Stevenson earlier this offseason. “The talent is definitely there. He can do whatever I ask him to do.”
A more motivated and centered approach is exactly what the Bears need to see out of Stevenson going into training camp. By the time the season starts, the coaches will be looking to see consistent play. If it’s not there, the Bears could pull the plug for the final time and insert his potential replacement in fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad.
RB Roschon Johnson
Former fourth-round running back Roschon Johnson is next up on the list. The Bears drafted Johnson out of Texas after playing behind future NFL star Bijan Robinson. Johnson was a solid rotational back in Year 1 with the Bears totaling 352 yards and two touchdowns on 81 carries splitting time with Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman.
The next year, the Bears invested in the backfield adding in D’Andre Swift, who dominated the touches with Johnson getting just 55 carries as a sophomore. In Year 3, Johnson was completely phased out of the new offense under head coach Ben Johnson in favor of rookie Kyle Monangai, who had a really great debut year.
Johnson still managed to play over 100 snaps on special teams in 2025 but his offensive role was non-existent. Even when Swift went down for one game, the Bears turned toward Brittain Brown off the practice squad to share carries behind Monangai instead of using Johnson.
Now, the Bears have added even more competition to the backfield after adding undrafted free agent Coleman Bennett and signing veteran Salvon Ahmed, who has experience playing for new RBs coach Eric Studesville. It’s a tough outlook for Johnson’s chances of making this roster, unless he steps up in a big way during camp and in limited preseason opportunities.
LB Noah Sewell
Linebacker Noah Sewell seemed like a great value addition by Poles in the fifth-round. Over the course of three seasons, Sewell appeared in 35 games with nine starts as a reserve linebacker logging over 400 defensive snaps and over 500 special teams snaps. That’s really solid contribution from a Day 3 draft pick.
Sewell’s outlook heading into training camp is where the concern lies, for the time being. Sewell suffered a torn Achilles back in Week 17 of the 2025 season and is still working his way back from that injury. In the meantime, the Bears added the following linebackers to the roster: Devin Bush, D’Marco Jackson, Jack Sanborn, Keyshaun Elliott, Tony Fields II, Jon Rhattigan, and Wayne Matthews II.
That’s an incredibly deep position on paper and Sewell will need to be back on the field sooner than later if he wants to stand out amongst that group as a reserve backup.
CB Terell Smith
The last remaining player from the Chicago’s 2023 draft class left to discuss is former fifth-round pick Terell Smith. Just like Sewell, the Bears have gotten plenty of contribution out of Smith since being drafted. Smith played 26 games and started six during his first two seasons, mixing in and out of the starting lineup with Stevenson on the outside.
Going into his third season, Smith suffered a patellar tendon tear in the preseason that forced him to miss the entire season. The Bears were really pleased with the progress Smith was making during training camp and now he’s going to have to make up for the lost ground. He’s shown he can play at a quality level in the past and we’ll see how he looks out there in camp and if he can compete for a role.