5 best things about the Chicago Bears through five weeks

Chicago Bears Observation No. 3: The rookies can play

The highlight of the Bears' 2022 season was the draft that followed it. General manager Ryan Poles was extremely active, turning the number one overall pick into D.J. Moore, the tenth overall pick, a second-round pick, and a future first, second, and fourth after trades with the Panthers and Eagles.

With that tenth pick, Poles selected Tennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright, and the big fella has been the one constant on a line riddled with injuries. Wright has had everything thrown at him in the season's first five weeks, from Rashan Gary of the Packers, to the blitz-happy Bucs, to Montez Sweat of the Commanders, and he's more than held his own.

Wright isn't the only Bears rookie that has impressed. Fifth-round pick Terell Smith has stepped up in the wake of multiple injuries to the Bears secondary, and he's played so well that even when Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Eddie Jackson are healthy, it should be impossible for Matt Eberflus to keep him off the field.

Gervon Dexter has come on in recent weeks after not playing much early in the season. With six quarterback pressures, the second-rounder out of Florida was a big part of the pass rush that barraged Sam Howell of the Commanders, and alongside free agent signee DeMarcus Walker, he's formed a Gators-Seminoles dynamic duo that represents the Bears' top pass-rushing threat.

Rookie tailback Roschon Johnson has flown up the depth chart since being drafted in the fourth round, relegating D'Onta Foreman to healthy scratch status four weeks in a row. Johnson has looked capable in all facets of the game, from running to receiving, to pass protection, and with Khalil Herbert nursing a high ankle sprain, he'll soon have the opportunity to be the feature back in an offense that has scored 68 points in the last two weeks.

The Bears have also seen positive contributions from defensive tackle Zacch Pickens in the run game and linebacker Noah Sewell on special teams, and there's still hope that Tyler Scott can be a productive receiver and kick returner. Top to bottom, this is a quality rookie class.