Chicago Bears risers and fallers after preseason opener vs. Dolphins, new scheme does wonders for Noah Sewell and Austin Booker
Notable players from the first preseason game.
The Chicago Bears preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins ended in a tie on Sunday, which wasn’t the ideal result in the first game of the Ben Johnson Era, but it could have been worse.
For the most part, the Bears had more standout players in the first preseason game compared to players who hurt their stock on the field.
Let’s get into some of the risers and fallers from the game and the impact their performances are going to have in the weeks ahead.
Riser: LB Noah Sewell
Early on in the game, linebacker Noah Sewell was the real standout on the field playing with the “starters” on defense. Sewell was all over the field and always on the ball.
His best play game on fourth-down backed up on the goal-line. Sewell shot into the backfield and forced a three-yard loss with a tackle on running back Jaylen Wright. Earlier in the drive, Sewell also had a “Peanut Punch” forced fumble on the sidelines, but the ball went out of bounds and stayed with the offense.
For a player who was largely forgotten under the previous staff, Sewell is really making the most of this fresh slate and now has a clear runway to win the starting SAM position on defense.
Riser: DE Austin Booker
Player of the game was easily second-year defensive end Austin Booker, who is now the league leader in sacks for the preseason after notching 3.0 on Sunday, along with a forced fumble.
Earlier in the spring, head coach Ben Johnson said he and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen wanted to see Booker add some more weight. After the game, Booker shared he’s put on around eight pounds of playing weight.
That was evident on Sunday. Booker was playing with a lot more power being able to uplift offensive tackles while winning with speed and technique as well. Overall an impressive showing from the 22-year-old edge rusher.
“He was a factor for the entire game,” Johnson said. “He was a menace. You really feed off that.”
Faller: LT Braxton Jones
Fourth-year left tackle Braxton Jones got the start on Sunday while in an intense battle to hold onto his starting position on the offensive line. Jones played the majority of the first-half before the team put second-round rookie Ozzy Trapilo into the game.
Jones had one noticeable error after allowing a bad pressure on a one-on-one block inside the five. Luckily, quarterback Tyson Bagent got the ball off in time for a touchdown.
But, in a fourth-down situation, you can’t afford to get beat like that, especially on the blindside. Definitely a notable rep to remember from the game.
Riser: LT Ozzy Trapilo
Trapilo played two drives in the first-half and into the second-half before being replaced by Theo Benedet. Late in the fourth quarter, Trapilo was reinserted into the line to get some extra reps.
Overall, the rookie had a solid outing. Like Jones, he might have surrendered a pressure or two, but his size was evident on the field. This quote in particular from quarterback Case Keenum is what swung the pendulum for me to consider Trapilo a riser after Sunday’s game.
“Sometimes, at the end of preseason games, there are guys who have been hurt or pulled, and guys are playing different positions. But having Ozzy, I literally looked at him and was like, left side, it gave me a good sense,” Keenum explained. “That’s a good feeling as a quarterback, when you have a left tackle you feel really good about.”
Faller: WR John Jackson III
Not to be overly critical, but wide receiver John Jackson III might be the reason the Bears finished this game with a tie instead of a win on Sunday.
The second-year wide receiver hasn’t stood out much throughout his time in Chicago. Last preseason, he only totaled two receptions for eight yards but was still able to stick around on the practice squad and return on the 90-man roster in 2025.
Jackson got some playing time late in the game with Austin Reed at quarterback. On the final drive of the game with the offense needing a field goal to win, Reed had three straight incompletions to Jackson, including a really bad drop drop which easily would have put the team in scoring position.
Riser: WR Jahdae Walker
Play of the day came from undrafted rookie wide receiver Jahdae Walker after Keenum dropped a perfect ball into the bucket on a one-on-one fade route for a touchdown.
Beyond that play, Walker led the Bears with 41 yards on three receptions to cap off an already strong week. The word trust was brought up when Keenum talked about working with the rookie and I think Sunday was just the beginning for what Walker can show the team this preseason.
“I really trust Jahdae in the short time I’ve gotten to know him,” Keenum said. “I thought he played really well today. He got a great release off the line, and I’ve just gotta give him a chance.”
Riser: K Cairo Santos
The feel good moment of Sunday’s game came just before halftime when Bears rookie wide receiver Luther Burden III made it out of bounds with one second remaining on the clock. That play allowed kicker Cairo Santos to take the field and attempt a long 57-yard field goal.
Santos absolutely nailed the kick with room to spare. For a player who has struggled throughout his career with longer field goals because of a low kick trajectory, it was great to see Santos made one. It’s clear his leg has gotten much stronger in Year 12.
“That was pretty strong,” Johnson explained. “I was joking with him that we probably didn’t even need that many yards. We could’ve kicked it from backed up the way he nailed that thing.”
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‘We’re trending the right direction’ — Bears top rookies show flashes in preseason opener, still need more work before earning Ben Johnson’s trust
Another encouraging step forward.
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