Bears Rookie Watch: 5 Early Thoughts About 2020 Draft Class, and Ledarius Mack

Bears coaches, over the last few weeks, got a better sense of what kind of players and people they have in 2020's crop of rookies. While practices don't begin until the week of Aug. 17, rookies have been able to participate in on-field walkthroughs at Halas Hall, allowing the Bears to get their first look at these guys since April's draft.

With that in mind, here are five things we learned this week from talking to those Bears coaches about everyone from Cole Kmet to Ledarius Mack:

Jaylon Johnson is in a stiffer competition than we might've thought.

Defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano said Johnson has been "a little bit limited" because of his shoulder (Johnson underwent a procedure on his shoulder in March). I wouldn't be too concerned about Johnson's shoulder right now, although it's something to monitor when practices are expected to begin in about 10 days.

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But even if he's full go in a week and a half, Johnson is not a lock to win the competition to start at corner opposite Kyle Fuller. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising at all if he isn't on the field Sept. 13 in Detroit, with Kevin Toliver II or Artie Burns getting the nod over him.

This is where 2020's pandemic-altered offseason hurts Johnson. He didn't have rookie minicamp and OTAs to get his feet under him with his assignments, and he won't have the benefit of a few preseason games to adjust to the physicality and speed of the NFL. And guys with experience in the league might be first in line come September.

Johnson, no doubt, will be a starter for the Bears soon enough – probably early in the 2020 season – but I continue to get the sense he might not be one immediately. Although that sense could always change once practice actually starts up at Halas Hall this month.

"The good thing is it's not like he has to come in and he has to be the No. 2 or No. 3 guy right now," Pagano said. "Now, once we get going and we start practicing if he beats those guys out and he wins that third spot, second spot, whatever that is, then great. … We missed the whole offseason. They've got a lot of catching up to do and make up, but again, we've got a lot of time with him so we can be patient at that position."

The early returns on Cole Kmet are encouraging.

The first words tight end coach Clancy Barone used to describe Kmet were "quick study." And everything that showed up when the Bears scouted him coming out of Notre Dame has shown up in meetings and walkthroughs.

"He certainly looks the part," Barone said. "He's as big as advertised, he's in tremendous condition, very lean, he's a big, thick bodied guy and extremely athletic."

More than any other rookie, the Bears need Kmet to contribute immediately given his upside and potential impact in allowing Matt Nagy use more 12 personnel – a largely untapped resource in his playbook. So it's certainly good news that Kmet is quickly picking things up and stayed in great shape over the summer.

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Rookie tight ends, though, rarely make major impacts. It's not easy to transition from college to the speed and physicality of the NFL at that position. It'll be even more difficult without OTAs and minicamps, let alone preseason games.

So the Bears will do what they can at Halas Hall to get Kmet prepared for Sept. 13, but how the No. 43 pick handles an NFL game will be an unknown until his first snap at Ford Field that day.

"Usually there's a mode of tempo and such that happens in practice and then it ramps up in preseason and then it doubles when you get to regular season and even more in postseason," Barone said. "That's going to be the thing as a staff and a team that we replicate in practice. So those young players who are going to be called upon early in their career so they can get an idea of what opening day is going to be like."

The Bears are playing the long game with Trevis Gipson.

Outside linebackers coach Ted Monachino said Barkevious Mingo, Isaiah Irving and James Vaughters will compete to be the Bears' No. 3 OLB – the first guy off the sidelines when Khalil Mack or Robert Quinn needs a breather. It was notable that he didn't mention Gipson, a fifth-round pick, among that group.

Again, there's a theme here: The lack of spring workouts and practices is negatively impacting the ability of almost every rookie across the league to get on the field early in the 2020 season. The Bears like Gipson's pass-rushing upside, and that hasn't changed. But he's transitioning not only from college to the pros, but from being a 4-3 end to a 3-4 edge rusher.

The good news on Gipson is Monachino has no concerns about his work ethic and ability to learn. Gipson is constantly asking questions and looking for extra time to spend with coaches, Monachino said, which will help him catch up faster.

"For a player that played in a system like he did, it's real common for a guy to see the game through a straw," Monachino said. "But he's trying to see it through a barn door right now. It's a process but he's not shying away from it at all. He's a super kid and I think he's fitting in well in the room and I think he's got a bright future."

Here's a quote you'll love to see.

DeShea Townsend, talking about fifth-round cornerback Kindle Vildor: "As far as the type of guy he is, he is a Bear guy."

While these walkthroughs have been better than nothing, most of the last few weeks has been a getting-to-know-you period for Bears coaches with these rookies. The springtime Zoom calls were nice, sure, but it's a lot more impactful to get to know someone in person – even if you're socially distancing and wearing masks.

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And for Townsend, getting to know Vildor revealed something that'll help the Georgia Southern product fit right in on the 2020 Bears.

"He is a true competitor - the way that he asks questions in meetings, the things that he wants to know, it just shows that he's a competitor," Townsend said. "So I'm excited to see him get a chance to get out there and play."

Don't count out Ledarius Mack.

I didn't include Mack in my latest 53-man roster projection, though I do have him landing on the Bears' practice squad. It's going to be a tough for an undrafted rookie to beat out multiple players with NFL experience this year.

But if anyone can do it, it's Mack, isn't it? We'll end the first Rookie Watch installment with a glowing review from his position coach:

"Ledarius is not a very big player, but he walks around here like he's 10 feet tall, which is exactly what you'd expect," Monachino said. "He's got plenty of juice. He's explosive. He's got really heavy hands. He's done a lot of things that are really impressive, and he's an easy learner, and so that part has been great.

"From a personality standpoint, he's got a lot of the best traits Khalil has. He's a little snarky every now and then, so he's got some funny things to say. He also is very attentive in what his job is. It's been a joy to have him. To see those two together, they have tried not to be Khalil and Khalil's little brother or Ledarius and Ledarius's big brother as much as they have been teammates, which has been kind of cool to watch. It's not like a dad and a son. It's two guys that are both fighting for the same things, and it's awesome. It's been fun to have.

"Talented young player. Right place, right time, got a chance."