Earlier this offseason, Bears head coach Ben Johnson made it clear an open competition would take place for the weakside linebacker position. Training camp will of course be critical in determining a winner, but an early standout emerged during spring practices.

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Ruben Hyppolite impressed the team’s coaching staff during minicamp and OTAs, ESPN’s Courtney Cronin writes. T.J. Edwards missed time due to a soft tissue injury, something which allowed Hyppolite to receive considerable reps with the starting defense. The fourth-round rookie primarily played at middle linebacker in college, but his early showings at the weakside spot were encouraging.

“He’s done a great job adjusting to that speed as we’ve gone through, and that’s going to have to show up once we do get the pads on,” Johnson said of Hyppolite. “But I think he’s been improving every single day, and really, we’re hoping that course continues.”

Over the course of his five years at Maryland, Hyppolite topped 60 tackles on three occasions. His pre-draft testing included a 4.39-second 40-yard dash, and translating that speed to the NFL will be key in his efforts to secure a starting gig right away. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds are set to reprise their first-team roles in 2025, and both veterans have multiple years remaining on their deals.

For the coming campaign and beyond, though, the Bears will need to find a consistent producer at the third LB spot. Johnson and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will spend training camp and the preseason evaluating Chicago’s options to replace Jack Sanborn, which also include Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga and Swayze Bozeman. Hyppolite will be worth monitoring as the summer unfolds as he looks to continue his early bid to win the competition.