1 burning question at each position on defense before Bears training camp

The Chicago Bears are preparing for the start of training camp under first-year head coach Ben Johnson. Following a 5-12 record, that included some big changes, there are high expectations with Johnson taking over heading into the 2025 season.

The defense will be a unit that needs to have a vast improvement this summer, where the focus will not be so much on a specific player position but new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. But there are certainly questions surrounding every position group heading into camp, whether that includes starting jobs, health and depth chart implications.

Let’s take a look at one burning question for key defensive positions in training camp.

Defensive line: Will Dayo Odeyingbo live up to the contract he signed in free agency?

Although he was not the biggest household name in free agency, the Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year deal worth $48 million, which includes $32 million guaranteed. The production will have to be there for the former Colts pass rusher, who has 16.5 career sacks over four seasons. His biggest season came in 2023, when he totaled eight sacks.

Odeyingbo's impact will not just be on paper with the stats he put up, but what he does for the other players on the defensive line, as well. With veterans Montez Sweat and Grady Jarrett set to be the leaders of the unit, Odeyingbo will have to open up opportunities for them to get to opposing quarterbacks. A successful season likely looks something where Odeyingbo gets at least five sacks and opens the door for Sweat, Jarrett, and others, such as Gervon Dexter Sr., to get high amount of sacks under new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett.

Linebacker: Who steps up next to T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds?

When veteran linebacker Jack Sanborn departed for the Dallas Cowboys in free agency, he opened the door for playing time at linebacker for a new name to emerge. Two of those names have already been on the roster, Noah Sewell and Amen Ogbongbemiga, although they have only impressed on special teams. There will be an interesting battle between the two in training camp for a starting role or at least a bigger role to play alongside the two veteran linebackers T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edumnds, who control the middle of the defense.

While Sewell and Ogbongbemiga will have seniority and likely the first crack to earn the spot, there's also fourth-round rookie Ruben Hyppolite II. While Hyppolite II may have been considered a reach where the Bears took him, the front office and coaching staff must see something in his playmaking ability to select him where they did, and there's an opportunity for the taking. There would undoubtedly be a learning curve to start if he won the job out of camp, but having Edwards and Edmunds leading the charge could help cover up some mistakes the rookie could make.

Secondary: Will Jaquan Brisker and Tyrique Stevenson return to form?

For two very separate reasons, the play of safety Jaquan Brisker and cornerback Tyrique Stevenson will be crucial for the Bears secondary, which is now coached by Al Harris. Last season was not what anyone expected from Stevenson, when there were mental lapses that caused him to not play up to his potential and standard, hurting his value on the roster. Stevenson has been known as a fiery competitor who can make plays when given the opportunity, and he works well as the other starting corner opposite of his shutdown teammate Jaylon Johnson. If Johnson and Stevenson are causing chaos for opposing offenses, the rest of the defense has an opportunity to feast.

As fiery of a competitor as Stevenson is, Brisker may be the heart and soul of not just the Bears defense but their entire team. Having missed most of the regular season last year due to a concussion that landed him on injured reserve, if Brisker returns to the lineup healthy, he's one of the better young safeties in the NFL. Getting both players back on the field is not only important for production reasons but to get the team's best unit of leadership out there as well.

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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears training camp: Burning question at each position on defense