Bears OTAs Preview: Players that have the ability to turn heads during the first week of practice that fans aren’t talking about enough
The Chicago Bears will hold three days of organized team activities starting on Wednesday, here are some underrated players that have the ability to turn heads on the field when practice starts.
With the Chicago Bears set to kick off organized team activities this week, we’ve been breaking down the top storylines on both sides of the ball along with some of the underrated battles set to take place throughout the roster.
The other thing to watch out for is which players start turning heads on the practice field and developing some early buzz going into the rest of the offseason.
Let’s take a look at players who have the ability to do just that that fans aren’t talking about nearly enough going into the first day of OTAs on Wednesday.
Chicago Bears players who can turn some heads in a good way during the first week of OTAs
CB Terell Smith
With the latest news surrounding Jaylon Johnson’s potential absence and Kyler Gordon’s new soft tissue injury, a lot of people are interested to see how Tyrique Stevenson looks this week going into Year 4. People in the building are also excited about fourth-round rookie Malik Muhammad. Not enough people are talking about Terell Smith.
Smith wasn’t a hot name last offseason like Nahshon Wright was, but Smitty was a steady presence who’s consistency was recognized by the defensive staff. Unfortunately, Smith tore his patellar tendon in late August, forcing him to miss the entire 2025 season.
“I thought he was making a lot of progress,” defensive coordinator Dennis Allen said of Smith. “The injury’s an unfortunate situation. He’s a quiet guy, but he comes to work every day and does his job. He’s been good for us to work with.”
Earlier in the offseason, Smith was seen back on the field and practicing, an encouraging sign that he’ll be back out there with the team this week. Smith is set to enter into the final year of his contract, so he’ll need to start turning some heads as soon as possible.
LB Devin Bush
A lot of people glossed over this signing during free agency and instead focused on the addition of Coby Bryant at the safety position. However, Devin Bush is going to be a really exciting player for this team at the linebacker position with big-play potential given his speed and explosiveness.
Both of those things will be on display this week, even if pads aren’t fully on. Bush will also get the opportunity to showcase his veteran leadership with T.J. Edwards out recovering from a fractured fibula. I easily see him standing out immediately with a lot of people saying “oh yea, I forgot they added this guy.”
“His ability to take the air out,” GM Ryan Poles said of Bush. “I mean, when he triggers, he goes. Another one again, time goes by, I remember watching him at Michigan. The play style, he plays fast. That helps with range and coverage. Again, if you think DA’s system, it’s a perfect fit.”
WR Zavion Thomas
Cheating a little bit with this one because everyone is interested to see how Ben Johnson deploys his new rookie weapon that he reached for in the 2026 NFL Draft. Zavion Thomas is a burner and that speed will be noticeable early on. I’m more interested to see where the Bears actually deploy Thomas and how he’s integrated with the rest of the offensive weapons like Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, and Colston Loveland.
More importantly, it took time for the rookie weapons from last season (Burden, Loveland, and Kyle Monangai) to get up to speed with the rest of the group. That’ll be even more of a challenge for Thomas who has the potential to play multiple positions.
“We had a long conversation, him just telling me what’s the expectations here and what my role will be here,” Thomas said of meeting head coach Ben Johnson. “It’s going to be dictated on me and how I grab the offense. It’s all going to be up to me.”
DT Neville Gallimore
I considered listing sixth-round rookie defensive tackle Jordan van den Berg, but he’s also an obvious player people are excited to see. Someone that’s not getting enough attention at the same position is veteran Neville Gallimore, who signed a two-year deal.
Gallimore brings plenty of experience to the table, which will be valuable to the staff early in OTAs. He’s known to have an elite first step burst and ability to collapse a pocket despite his smaller frame for a defensive tackle. He can also play throughout the entire front, so the coaches should come away impressed after signing him in action.