The Chicago Bears will field what looks to be an impressive rookie class with major contributors on both sides of the ball, though one continues to go largely unnoticed.
Multiple ESPN contributors on Saturday, September 2, compiled a collection of rookies who are still flying under the radar with the start of the NFL season just days away. The second player named on that list is Bears running back Roschon Johnson.
“You might not expect fourth-round draft picks to have a major impact, but Johnson could be this year’s Dameon Pierce as a Day-3 selection who ultimately leads his team in rushing,” according to the article. “Johnson was the backup to [Bijan] Robinson at Texas, so he didn’t get a ton of carries, but he’s a three-down back with power at 6-foot-2, 223 pounds. He is also a fantastic pass-catcher and blocker in the backfield. In a crowded Chicago running back room, Johnson might not be the Week 1 starter, but he could easily be getting the most carries by midseason.”
Roschon Johnson, Khalil Herbert Make for Dynamic RB Duo in Chicago
GettyChicago Bears rookie running back Roschon Johnson could contend for the starting job at some point in 2023.
Johnson entered the organization as potentially the third-string running back behind free agent acquisition D’Onta Foreman and third-year player Khalil Herbert, the latter of whom is the presumed starter heading into Week 1.
Herbert played behind David Montgomery during his first two seasons in the NFL, while the 27-year-old Foreman signed a one-year contract worth $2 million to join the Bears in March, half of which is guaranteed.
Foreman looked like a value signing coming off of a career year with the Carolina Panthers, though the abilities Johnson flashed during the preseason dropped Foreman to No. 3 on the depth chart. Despite a limited role, Herbert is coming off of a productive sophomore campaign in which he averaged 5.7 yards per carry, gained nearly 800 total yards from scrimmage and found the end zone five times, per Pro Football Reference.
Chicago should field a potent rushing attack regardless of the order in which Herbert and Johnson ultimately fall on the roster, or whether those assignments remain consistent throughout the year. Quarterback Justin Fields led the league with 7.1 yards per carry and produced the second-most prolific season rushing the football of any signal-caller in history.
Bears Expected to Assign Major Roles to at Least 5 Rookies
GettyCornerback Tyrique Stevenson of the Chicago Bears is expected to begin the season as one of the team’s starters.
Moving away from the running back position, two rookies who appear shoe-ins to start for the Bears are offensive tackle Darnell Wright (drafted No. 10 overall) and second-round cornerback Tyrique Stevenson.
Wright will patrol the edge of the revamped right side of the offensive line, which includes $30 million free agent signing Nate Davis at guard. Stevenson will line up opposite three-year starter Jaylon Johnson in the secondary.
Also expected to contribute meaningfully in 2023 are Gervon Dexter Sr. and Zacch Pickens, who Chicago selected in the second- and third-rounds, respectively (No. 53 and No. 64 overall picks). The two are projected to begin the year as the Bears’ second-string defensive tackles.
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Bears’ ‘Under the Radar’ Rookie Poised for Breakout NFL Debut