Bears analyst shines light on a genuine dark horse to make the 53-man roster

Ben Johnson is carrying what he learned under Dan Campbell with the Detroit Lions to his first training camp as Chicago Bears head coach. Many reporters are noting the physical nature of practice, and it's impossible to miss the general tone of accountability Johnson is setting.

A lot of spots on the Bears' 53-man roster feel fairly locked in weeks before roster cuts. In some spots, it's just a matter of who is a starter and how the pecking order falls into place. However, there are position battles ongoing where a roster spot may hang in the balance, and it will likely come down to how many players are kept at each position.

Clay Harbor of CHSN recently offered up three dark horses to make the Bears' 53-man roster. No. 1 was wide receiver JP Richardson, who is making waves at training camp. No. 3 was cornerback Nahshon Wright, who is making a significant enough push for a roster spot that he doesn't truly qualify as a dark horse.

But Harbor's second choice is the one that is a true out of nowhere name.

Clay Harbor names the darkest of dark horses to make Bears' 53-man roster

"The No. 2 guy. You guys haven't heard of this guy", Harbor said. "Theo Benedet. Canadian, I don't know if you remember him from 'Hard Knocks' last year...'The Canadian Eagle.' Signed by the Bears, undrafted free agent. First team All-Canadian. Two-time J.P. Metras Trophy, that means he was the best down lineman twice in Canada."

"But what I've seen on the field, is a consistent guy", Harbor continued. "He's big. He's the No. 2 left tackle. You know who he looks a lot like in training camp? I get him confused with? Ozzie Trapilo. This guy's 6-7, he's like 'The Mountain' in "Game of Thrones", big dude, can move, can bend...Don't be surprised if Theo Benedet makes the roster."

The Bears signed Benedet as an undrafted rookie in 2024, and he spent all of last season on the practice squad. He signed a futures contract in January, and he's stuck around as a competitor for a spot on the offensive line.

A wide-open (in theory) position battle at left tackle has been whittled down at times to who's available to practice during training camp. Kiran Amegadjie has been missing time lately with an injury, and Braxton Jones is having his workload managed coming off ankle surgery.

After Harbor vouched for him so strongly, Benedet got some notable work during the Bears' highly physical practice on Tuesday heading into the preseason opener.

Benedet is not a serious candidate for a starting job, and he's listed as the No. 3 right tackle (whatever that's worth right now). But he's getting work at both tackle spots during camp, and it'll be interesting to see how he's deployed in joint practices and preseason games. That versatility will bolster his case for a roster spot.

Read more: Reporters laud Tuesday's practice as befitting a different era of Bears football

It will come down to how many offensive tackles the Bears keep. Trapilo, Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright are of course locks. Amegadjie is a lock too, as long as his injury isn't serious. But Benedet is doing enough to garner notice, and if Harbor has noticed him the coaching staff surely has too.