Tag: Khyiris Tonga

Ranking the Bears rookie class heading into final preseason game

Through two weeks of preseason, here’s how the Bears rookie class has performed.

With two weeks of preseason in the books, there’s plenty to like about the Chicago Bears rookie class.

There’s been plenty of opportunities for young players to make an impact, and we’ve seen that with a few, notably quarterback Justin Fields and nose tackle Khyiris Tonga.

With a bulk of starters likely to sit out Saturday’s preseason finale against the Titans, it’ll provide even more opportunities for these rookies to make a lasting impression heading into the final round of roster cuts next Tuesday.

Here’s a look at how Chicago’s rookie class ranks through the first two preseason games:

6 takeaways from Bears’ preseason loss to the Bills

From Justin Fields earning reps with starters to concerns on defense and special teams, here’s our takeaways from the Bears’ loss to Bills.

For much of Saturday afternoon, the Chicago Bears played uninspiring football in their 41-15 preseason loss to the Buffalo Bills. The starting offense struggled to get anything going, sans one big play from quarterback Andy Dalton. Meanwhile, Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky got the revenge he was seeking against the Bears defense, putting on a show for his former team as he got the start for Buffalo.

The second half was better for both sides of the ball as rookie quarterback Justin Fields looked great in sports with his arm and his legs, but also struggled due to the lack of protection on the offensive line. The defense, meanwhile, was able to create a few turnovers against the Buffalo reserves after getting gashed in the first half.

All in all, though, it wasn’t a pretty day on the lakefront and with just one preseason game left, the Bears have a lot of questions to answer in a short amount of time. Here are my takeaways from Saturday’s preseason game.

Bears 2021 training camp roster preview: Defensive line

It’s time to dive in and preview the Bears’ defensive linemen heading into training camp.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

We’ve covered the entire offense, looking at quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends and offensive line. Now it’s time to turn our attention to the defensive side of the ball, beginning with the guys in the trenches; the defensive line.

This position group had some stellar play from its starters such as defensive ends Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols, while also getting production from a few key reserves like Mario Edwards Jr. But there was one noticeable absence throughout the entire season that created a figurative (and sometimes literal) hole in the middle of the line with nose tackle Eddie Goldman opting out of the season due to concerns surround the COVID-19 virus.

Will Goldman, Hicks, and Nichols be ready to go when camp arrives? Who might be this year’s unsung hero on the line? It’s time to dive in and preview the Bears’ defensive linemen heading into training camp.

LOOK: Bears 2021 draft class assembles at rookie minicamp

The Bears’ entire 2021 draft class was present and ready to get to work as rookie minicamp kicked off at Halas Hall.

Arguably the most anticipated rookie minicamp in recent memory officially kicked off on Friday for the Chicago Bears. Though much of the focus was on their prized first-round quarterback Justin Fields, the entire 2021 draft class was present and ready to get to work as we inch closer to the start of the season.

Offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, running back Khalil Herbert, defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga, cornerback Thomas Graham Jr., wide receiver Dazz Newsome, offensive tackle Larry Borom and Fields (pictured left to right below) all got together for a photo during practice.

A number of undrafted free agents joined the seven draft picks for practice for the three-day camp. Fields and Jenkins spoke to the media following practice on Friday and talked about how the city as embraced them over the last couple of weeks.

“It’s awesome, from the get-go I could just tell the love from the Bears fans and how passionate our fans are,” Fields said.

Jenkins shared similar thoughts. “I’m having a lot of good times with Bears fans, especially on Twitter.”

Fans will hopefully get more looks at the entire class later in the offseason when training camp begins, but there’s certainly a lot of buzz surrounding these seven rookies.

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2021 NFL draft grades: Experts are loving what the Bears did

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for the Bears’ 2021 draft class, and most experts believe Chicago won this draft.

The 2021 NFL draft is officially in the books, and the Chicago Bears came out of it with some great prospects, including their potential franchise quarterback in Justin Fields.

General manager Ryan Pace was praised for his selections of Fields and offensive tackle Teven Jenkins in the first two rounds, and Pace finished off Day 3 with some great value picks that have experts everywhere singing his praises.

Here’s a collection of all of the grades for the Bears’ draft class from various sports outlets and, spoiler alert, everyone thinks Chicago won this draft.

Grading each of the Bears’ 7 picks from 2021 NFL draft

Here’s a round-up of all of our grades for each of the Bears’ seven selections in the 2021 NFL draft.

The Chicago Bears welcomed seven new players to their roster this weekend during the 2021 NFL draft, including two of the top prospects in the draft class in quarterback Justin Fields and offensive tackle Teven Jenkins.

While it’s far too early to start evaluating this draft class before they’ve even hit the field, it’s fair to wonder if, down the line, we might be looking back at this 2021 draft class as Bears GM Ryan Pace’s best.

Here’s a round-up of all of our grades for each of the Bears’ seven selections in the 2021 NFL draft.

Grading the Bears’ selection of DT Khyiris Tonga

The Bears added depth at defensive tackle with the selection of Khyiris Tonga. Here’s how we graded the pick.

The Chicago Bears selected BYU defensive tackle Khyiris Tonga with their final pick — 250th overall — in the 2021 NFL draft, and he’s another solid pick-up from GM Ryan Pace in the later rounds.

Tonga appeared in 47 games at BYU, where he totaled 130 tackles, 16.0 tackles-for-loss, 8.5 sacks, 12 pass breakups and two forced fumbles in four seasons. Last season with the Cougars, Tonga recorded 36 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and a career-high 3.5 sacks and five pass breakups in 11 games.

While the defensive line wasn’t a significant area of concern, the Bears added a nice developmental prospect in Tonga, who has the chance to work with one of the best defensive lines in the league and learn under Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman.

Ultimately, Tonga is a mountain of a defensive tackle with big physical prowess and versatility along the defensive line. He’s a powerful run-stuffer, but he also has the ability to get after the quarterback, something that’s vital for nose tackles in this pass-happy league.

Grade: B+

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1-tech defensive tackle prospects for Cowboys to consider throughout draft

Tim Lettiero reviews seven 1-tech defensive tackles who can contribute as a run defender in each round in the upcoming 2021 NFL Draft.

Over the years, few notable names have been brought in to boost the run defense. With Dan Quinn creating a shift in the culture bringing in the likes of Brent Urban, there is hope for the future. With a horrid 2020 campaign in the run stuffing department, the Dallas Cowboys simply must address the position they so frequently are known for ignoring.

Antwaun Woods has shown the ability to be an energetic body off the bench but he is coming off a down year, often given no help by lackluster performances from fellow teammates who have now moved onwards like Dontari Poe. Woods is in desperate need of a rotational partner at minimum and this draft is the perfect opportunity to do so with many viable options throughout the rounds. Here are some names to keep in mind when the Dallas Cowboys are up in each round of the 2021 NFL draft:

Who did the Colts take in CBS Sports’ 7-round mock draft?

What do you think of this seven-round mock?

As the 2021 NFL draft approaches, now officially three weeks away, the Indianapolis Colts will be a team to watch. Given their history of finding gems throughout the draft, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports ran a seven-round mock draft for Indy.

Without any trades going down, which is unlikely for Chris Ballard, the Colts found their new left tackle, an intriguing edge rusher a new pass-catching weapon that feel mightily.

Here’s how the mock draft went for the Colts: