A lot of credit has to be given to Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson for the work they have done up to the opening week of the NFL season.
Poles went in and added a ton of new talent on offense and defense to give Johnson the system players he needs. Johnson has been more focused on building the right culture in Chicago with more accountability being held towards the players.
All this work has led to the Bears having the potential for more unknown names on the team to break out as stars. Who in Chicago is ready to start the Johnson era properly with stellar out-of-the-blue performances in 2025?
Kyle Monangai, RB
Starting with a Day 3 rookie, Monangai has a chance to be a David Montgomery-type back in Johnson's offense. Bears fans only got one game to see him on the field as he is recovering from injury, but with so many questions surrounding the future of D'Andre Swift, Monangai has a chance to run with the job for the future.
Luther Burden III, WR
Let's add another rookie on the list with Burden who can do it all. He impressed in preseason with not only his route running abilities, but his willingness to get in there and make the tough blocks most rookie receivers aren't willing to do. Burden is going to get plenty of targets with his unselfishness on the field.
Colston Loveland, TE
Once again, a rookie on offense is on the list, but Loveland is special and the tight end position is Johnson's specialty. In Detroit, Johnson had Sam LaPorta who has become a top five tight end within two years in the NFL. Loveland has that same potential with his pass-catching abilities.
Austin Booker, DE
Four sacks in the first two preseason games were impressive enough for Booker to raise some eyebrows in Chicago. Unfortunately, he's going to miss the first four games of the season as he is on IR, which kills the momentum he was building. Once he's back, Booker is going to have a chance to prove that he can be a consistent disruptor of the pass.
Noah Sewell, LB
That first preseason game against the Miami Dolphins for Sewell, who had six tackles, one tackle for loss, and a forced fumble, was something special to watch. That was all the Bears needed to know they are solid at linebacker. While it isn't clear if he will start over rookie Ruben Hyppolite II, there's no doubt Sewell is going to be in the rotation on defense.
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Josh Blackwell, CB
There's been a lot of buzz around Blackwell as a guy who has been a special teams ace for the Bears, but could be so much more than that. After a nice showing in the preseason with the large number of injuries to Chicago's secondary, Blackwell might have a shot at playing more and proving that he should be on the field more often.