The Bears have a 90-man roster limit these days, but it’ll get trimmed to 53 near next month’s end. A significant sum won’t make the regular-season roster, especially on a team with seemingly so many locks.

Making the team as a relative unknown will be difficult considering the quality of depth and competition afforded head coach Ben Johnson heading into the 2025 campaign. There are always a few who flash and repeat excellence long enough this preseason to make the 53-man roster.

T.J. Edwards is an example of an odds-defier who went from undrafted to three-down staple on his third contract. The Bears could unexpectedly find someone like that, or something simpler: an impact role player no one saw coming.

We’re offering five potential sleepers who could make the 53-man roster, or land on the practice squad and make an impact later in the year. We’ll update their progress throughout training camp and preseason games, though we reserve the right to refine the list as names emerge.

Here’s the initial list, after witnessing parts of the offseason program and one training camp practice:

CB Nahshon Wright

A former third-round pick with four years’ experience and 33 NFL games to his credit isn’t necessarily a sleeper. The term’s reserved for undrafted free agents or guys spending time on several practice squads.

Wright’s here because he wasn’t someone considered a contender to make the 53-man roster in a secondary loaded with talented returners. Jaylon Johnson’s excused absences in minicamp and his placement on the NFI list has given Wright lots of first-team work.

He’s a massive cornerback at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds and has fared well against Bears receivers. It’s tough to crack the Bears cornerback corps, and Wright might have to beat Terell Smith to snag a spot. Coordinator Dennis Allen said he’s excited about Smith’s prospects, but Wright seems like someone as capable of battling for a spot as anyone.

TE Joel Wilson

Much of Wilson’s placement on this list was Ben Johnson’s praise of him as a standout during the offseason program. Johnson said that Wilson was always around the ball and making plays, which was accurate.

That continued at the start of camp. Wilson has bounced around between practice squads over the past few years, but he could be helpful if the Bears go with four tight ends. Johnson is a former tight ends coach and can recognize talent at the position. Wilson might impress enough on offense and special teams to convince the Bears to load up at tight end.

LB Power Echols

The North Carolina product is an off-the-ball linebacker who has been around the ball in practices playing without pads. We’ll have to see how he does when things get more physical.

He could be a strong special teams player and someone who could fill in if the team’s injury situation gets out of hand. T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds and Ruben Hyppolite are all seemingly destined for the roster. Noah Sewell and Amen Ogbongbemiga will push for the fourth spot on the roster with their special teams prowess, but Echols could make some noise and battle his way into contention for at least a practice squad spot.

DB Major Burns

The LSU product was arguably the most well-known member of the undrafted free agent class, due to his production at a big SEC school. Burns is a defensive back by trade but can play safety, in the slot and outside cornerback as well. He’s an aggressive player and a fundamentally sound tackler. He has good range and is a physical tackler.

The Bears have four solid safeties and depth a cornerback, but he could be a practice squad player who could step in as a practice squad elevation or could develop over a longer-term within a position group where the four top options are headed for free agency in 2026.

OG Bill Murray

This is a selfish selection. I think Murray is a good player. He’s a mauler on the interior line, someone who plays aggressive football. He filled in well when called upon last year, before he suffered a torn pectoral muscle that ended his 2024 campaign early.

Offensive line’s another impacted position, but there may be some options as a reserve on the interior. It’ll depend on the number of backup centers kept, but Murray’s someone worth keeping close watch on in terms of the unit he’s featured on and how he plays during the preseason.