Bears Training Camp Battle Breakdown: Rookie surprise Ruben Hyppolite II continues pushing for the third starting spot at LB
Continuing on with the Chicago Bears training camp battles, we have another starting spot up for grabs on the defensive side of the ball, and the answer for this spot isn't as simple as one might think.Under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the Bears are set to get creative at linebacker. Chicago has two established […]
Continuing on with the Chicago Bears training camp battles, we have another starting spot up for grabs on the defensive side of the ball, and the answer for this spot isn't as simple as one might think.
Under new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, the Bears are set to get creative at linebacker. Chicago has two established veteran starters in Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards who have patrolled the middle of the field over the past two seasons.
In 2025, Edmunds and Edwards will rotate between the middle and weakside positions to maximize the creativity of the scheme and the ability of each player.
As for the strongside position, head coach Ben Johnson confirmed earlier in the offseason that the role will be up for grabs to see who can step up but the team is more concerned about finding their third-best LB than the best fit as a SAM.
"We do have a prototype, [Dennis Allen] has a prototype for what that SAM would look like. We're more concerned, let's find our third-best linebacker and we'll figure it out from there," Johnson said. "We won't know for sure until we get the pads on."
Really only two players are competing for the job in fourth-round pick Ruben Hyppolite II and third-year contributor Noah Sewell. Let's take a look at both players.
Ruben Hyppolite II
When the Bears selected Hyppolite 132nd overall in April's draft, he was the first non-Combine invite selected and one of the first real reaches in the draft. Many experts had a UDFA grade on the Maryland standout, but the Bears felt strong about his skills.
The main thing that caught the eye of the coaching staff was Hyppolite's speed. He's a true sideline-to-sideline defender and has the ability to crash at a crazy fast speed.
But, when it comes to strongside linebacker, the key is playing with size and being able to matchup against tight ends in coverage and play the run. During OTAs and minicamp, Hyppolite was rotating in at weakside and middle linebacker. His speed skillset will easily get him on the field, but once pads come on during training camp, he can show off his physicality to see if it's a fit at SAM.
"He’s done a great job adjusting to that speed as we’ve gone through, and that’s going to have to show up once we do get the pads on," Johnson said of Hyppolite. "But I think he’s been improving every single day, and really, we’re hoping that course continues."
Noah Sewell
As for Sewell, the former fifth-round pick in 2023 is set to benefit greatly from the staff changes. During his first two seasons with the Bears, Sewell played just 22 games but only 32 total defensive snaps.
Once the new staff got their eyes on Sewell, they realized his skillset can be expanded throughout the offseason. Early on during OTAs, Johnson noted Sewell has "shown a lot of good things" on the practice field. Edmunds was able to explain more as someone who's seen the growth and work Sewell has put in.
"Noah’s a baller, for sure. I think what he’s doing with his body this year, too, you see major changes in that, and that just speaks on his work ethic and how important it is to him," Edmunds said. "I think if you put yourself in position to have success, you’re going to get success. He’s working hard; weight room, on the grass, all that type of stuff. His ability to make plays, obviously, that sticks out as well. His mindset and all that type of stuff, being a young guy, that sticks out as well."
Linebacker is a tough spot to assess without the pads on. While Hyppolite has earned strong reviews and praises, Sewell seems to be in the pole position considering Hyppolite spent the early summer rotating in and learning.
Once training camp opens, all eyes will be on these two players to see which one separates himself as the team's clear third-best LB.
