The first week of the Chicago Bears' first training camp under Ben Johnson is in the books, and it was a roller coaster ride to say the least.
It was all highlighted by the struggles of the Bears' offense and quarterback Caleb Williams. The unit struggled with pre-snap issues and Williams' ability to connect on his passes.
If there is any consolation, the defense was great all week and appears to be the team's strength. Even without Jaylon Johnson on the field, the secondary is playing well, and linebacker Tramaine Edmunds is shining bright and on his way to returning to Pro Bowl form.
Entering the second week of camp, four players stand out and need to demonstrate their abilities to the coaching staff, either by improving their performance from the previous week or continuing to showcase their skills.
Braxton Jones, LT
The left tackle position is all over the place right now for Chicago. Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kiran Amegadjie have been splitting first-team reps. Someone will have to take control of the position and run with it. Jones has the most to lose if he doesn't win the job, so he needs to show the coaching staff that he can still protect Williams' blind side.
Cole Kmet, TE
Kmet had a nice first week of training camp, but Colston Loveland is right behind him, who also had a great practice. Even though both tight ends are going to be used early and often in Ben Johnson's scheme, Kmet is playing for more than making the starting lineup. He needs to outperform Loveland so that the Bears don't make him trade collateral during the season.
Caleb Williams, QB
Williams on this list seems like an obvious choice. Going from one practice where the whole first team was kicked off the field to throwing two interceptions in one session and having almost 10 straight incompletions. The good news is that he ended the week on a strong note with a solid Day 4 practice. Hopefully, Williams can carry that momentum into the second week.
Read more: One training camp practice and Colston Loveland moved a step closer to starting
Terell Smith, CB
This selection isn't based on performance for Smith, who had a solid first week at training camp, particularly excelling in tight coverage. It's more about trying to earn his spot in the rotation at cornerback with Jaylon Johnson out with injury. He may not have a strong shot at beating out Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, and Kyler Gordon in the starting lineup, but he can make a case to be on the field more often.