The countdown until the Chicago Bears report to training camp is on, and we are counting down the Bears roster in the meantime. The ranking will be looking at which player has the biggest impact on the 2022 season.
We are into the top 45, and down to number 43.
Chicago Bears 2022 roster ranking: No. 43 Khyiris Tonga
Last season, the seventh-round pick from BYU Khyiris Tonga was ranked number 48. He was entering camp with his roster spot on the line against Mike Pennel, who we just ranked yesterday. An injury to Pennel aided the younger player, but either way, Tonga made the roster.
You could argue the changing of the guard will hurt Tonga. Tonga was a seventh-round pick from the Ryan Pace regime, and Ryan Poles may see him as a low-end roster player who could be replaced by his coach’s handpicked player.
Still, at the moment, there is not a much better option on paper. Pennel was brought in but was the same roadblock as last season. He has more ties to Poles than Tonga, but Tonga is younger, cheaper, and under team control longer, so there are just as many reasons for him to stick around for another season.
Tonga entering year two and arguably taking a step forward himself, combined with the likelihood that he can make the team has him up to 43rd in our ranking, his peak, and a five-spot rise.
Still, he cannot get much higher. He is not quite a roster lock, and at best he is the guy who steps in on third-and-1, goal line, and other specialty snaps such as field goal block. There is enough of a role here to get him this high, but the rest of the players could have or certainly do have bigger impacts on the roster locked in.