4 position battles to watch during Bears training camp

The Chicago Bears are kicking off training camp this week, and there will be no shortage of storylines to monitor this summer.

That includes a new of position battles that bear watching, and head coach Ben Johnson sounds excited for the competition. While most of the training camp battles will come at positions that serve as mostly depth purposes, there's one crucial battle happening at left tackle that will be the most intriguing to watch.

With Bears training camp getting underway, let's take a look at the top position battles to monitor throughout the summer -- where there are several rookies who could turn heads.

Left tackle

• Ozzy Trapilo: A second-round pick in this year's draft, Trapilo comes with impressive size and strength as a rookie who has already turned heads during rookie minicamp. Drawing comparisons to former Bear Kyle Long just playing a different position, the early return on Trapilo has not only created optimism but intrigue for his role in his first season.
• Braxton Jones: The three-year starter will have a battle on his hands not only because of Trapilo, but his recovery from ankle surgery last season. Jones has been a respectable starter during his tenure but with young talent continuing to come in behind him, he's got a target on his back for the starting job and he'll have to show his health is good and his experience is his edge during training camp.
• Kiran Amegadjie: The player who has most to prove after being a third-round pick in last year's draft, Amegadjie has potential yet to be unlocked. Coming into his rookie season he battled through early injuries than was thrown into the fire and showed to have plenty of room for improvement as a young player. Amegadjie could turn an impressive camp into winning the second spot on the depth chart, but Trapilo's presence may make it tough for the starting role.

Backup quarterback

• Case Keenum: A long-tenured veteran who has played with several teams across the NFL, Keenum gets a roster spot just for his voice and experience, something that has been missing in the quarterback room. He signed a one-year deal this offseason but will face a fan-favorite for the backup spot behind Caleb Williams.
• Tyson Bagent: The fan-favorite backup who has defied the odds early in his career and even earned starting opportunities early on, Bagent has proven himself. To win the battle in training camp against Keenum, Bagent will have to show that his learning on the job experience as a backup has done him well and that he can still be the top backup in Chicago.

Third linebacker

• Ruben Hyppolite II: A fourth-round pick in this year's draft, Hyppolite was selected that high for a reason and it shows the faith the front office and coaching staff are high on him. With an opportunity opened up by the departure of Jack Sanborn, Hyppolite could come out of camp working alongside veterans T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds.
• Noah Sewell: A former fifth-round pick in 2023, Sewell has not been able to break through on the main roster just yet, finding his most impactful role on special teams. He'll have the experience advantage over Hyppolite, but he's got plenty to prove in training camp to get the biggest opportunity of his career.

Cornerback

• Tyrique Stevenson: One of the most important players who needs to have an outstanding training camp, Stevenson needs to erase the memory of the 2024 season. Having several miscues on the field that resulted in a loss of playing time and media criticism, Stevenson needs to earn back his role as the top corner behind Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon.
• Terell Smith: One of the younger cornerbacks on the roster, Smith impressed when given opportunities last season. His performance in 2024 led for plenty of calls for him to see more playing time, but now Smith has an opportunity to leapfrog Stevenson on the depth chart.
• Zah Frazier: A fifth-round pick in this year's draft, Frazier has size, length, and speed to not only make the roster but to have an impact in his first year. Frazier is not the typical fifth-round pick and could be considered a diamond in the rough for Ryan Poles and the front office if new secondary coach Al Harris can get the most out of him as a rookie.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp: Position battles to watch