Forget long term, who will make the biggest contribution this season?
When teams select players in the NFL Draft, they are looking for who can be a key player for their team for years to come, that certainly isn’t some bold take. But for Chicago Bears fans, they are hoping to win games this season. Can the Bears make the playoffs? Fans certainly think so, as do the people inside Halas Hall.
So if the Bears want to win games this year, which rookies joining the team should be able to make the biggest impact this season? We rank them.
8. Luke Newman, IOL
I think Newman might spend this season on the practice squad. That’s a risky maneuver because players can be signed to other teams, but I think Newman, who might be working towards becoming a center, might need some more time to acclimate to the NFL level. Newman only spent one year at Michigan State and was previously at Holy Cross. Newman has some issues with some of his technique and doesn’t have a lot of strength. To me, that feels like a rookie who needs a redshirt year to get bigger and stronger and get some work with Dan Roushar and see where he’s at in 2026.
7. Zah Frazier, CB
Frazier is a late bloomer. He was a community college player before moving to Texas-San Antonio, where he only started one season. He was 24 when he started as well. Frazier turns 25 this season and hasn’t faced major competition yet. He’s tall and fast and has some traits to develop into a good defensive back. He had a great season in his final year in college, but was he a “man against boys,” which was the knock on Velus Jones when he broke out late in college. Frazier has traits and fits Dennis Allen’s scheme well. I think Frazier is on the 53 this year but will be contributing on special teams, and not so much in the secondary (also due to the Bears’ strength at that position).
6. Ruben Hyppolite, LB
I’ll be honest, when we get into rounds 6 and 7, there are plenty of prospects that I’ve never heard of. I don’t do the deep dives that many of the draft experts do. But there aren’t too many players I’ve never heard of that go in the top four rounds, and this was a name that flew right over my head. Speaking with people, while many thing Hyppolite was drafted too high, some thought he should be a UDFA, there seems to be a consensus that due to his blazing speed, he was shooting up some draft boards. Was he shooting this high? Who knows, but I do feel like Hyppolite can immediately help on special teams. The Bears don’t have a set 3rd linebacker at this point, so if he performs well, he will have a chance to get some snaps on defense.
5. Kyle Monangai, RB
Let’s be honest, we all want Monangai to be number one on the list, but the bottom line here is Monangai was roughly the 20th-ranked running back in this class. It’s an excellent class, albeit, but he’s still a seventh-round pick and those rarely make an impact at the NFL level ever, let alone as a rookie. I love the way Monangai runs, and I hope he makes the 53 and gets some opportunities on offense, but he’s going to have to beat out Roschon Johnson for offensive touches, and there’s a lot of speculation the Bears could add another veteran back into the mix. There’s a path to playing time for Monangai, but it’s tough to rank him higher than this at this point.
4. Shemar Turner, DL
Will he play more defensive end or more tackle? We will see what the Bears see Turner as when we start seeing where the rookies are lining up during OTAs, but until then, we will speculate. Perhaps Turner will play both inside and outside. If Turner plays outside, there is less depth there and more of a chance for playing time, but if Turner stays inside largely, he’s going to be starting as DT4, and that will limit his playing time. I think Turner will be able to make some impact plays throughout the season, but we will see if he can perform consistently.
3. Colston Loveland, TE
Some fans may think I’m putting Loveland third as an insult, but it’s not. Tight ends tend to take a little more time to develop, and Loveland could be similar. Yes, Sam LaPorta had an impact as a rookie in Ben Johnson’s offense and Loveland could as well, but with Cole Kmet still on the roster and some wide receivers that will be eating targets as well, I think Loveland is eased in slowly early in the season until he starts getting steady snaps by October and November. Loveland will absolutely impact the offense, but not as much as these next two.
2. Luther Burden, WR
I think Burden and Loveland are a toss-up up and you could make the argument that either could be second, and you wouldn’t get an argument from me. I think Burden has the slight edge because I simply think a WR3 will get a little more looks than a TE2, and while many of you believe that Loveland will be the TE1 this year, I think it’ll be Kmet this year. Burden is going to be a weapon in Ben Johnson’s offense. He’s dynamic with the ball in his hands, and I think Johnson will be able to get him the ball in space and let Burden get to work.
1. Ozzy Trapilo, OT
I’m making a bold prediction, and that is that Trapilo will be starting this season for most or all of the season. Perhaps Braxton Jones is starting week one, but I think Trapilo will take his job at some point. I was higher on Trapilo than the consensus, and I had him as my top tackle on the board after the first round talents. I think Trapilo gets ahead of Kiran Amegadjie pretty early as the swing tackle and is a pro-ready prospect that could be a solid pass protector right out of the gate. Trapilo may not dominate in the run game, but as he gets stronger, he has the right technique to do that as well. I think most people will have Trapilo listed 3rd or 4th on this list, but I’m a fan, and if you are the team’s starting left tackle, you’ll be the biggest impact rookie on the team.