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Bears Camp Stock Report July 24: Defense

Image Credit: Will DeWitt (Da Bears Brothers)

This defensive stock report takes every open practice into account to provide a current standing on where each player stands heading into the second weekend of practices before next week’s Hall of Fame Game.

Which defensive players are on the rise? Who’s trending in the wrong direction?

Stock Up ?

Kevin Toliver II (despite slight setback): Even though Toliver has been sitting out with a minor injury, his performance early on in camp has been the most impactful. He had two interceptions in the first (closed) practice of camp and continued to turn heads on Saturday in the public eye by making strong plays on the ball.


At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Toliver has the size the Bears are looking for at corner. Toliver, an undrafted rookie, has the tools and intangibles needed to be a starting caliber corner in the league. Remember he was not drafted due to questions about his character, but under Matt Nagy, every player gets a clean slate and Toliver is making the most of his.
Toliver has also had perhaps the largest “fan club” in attendance with over 30 family and friends showing up to support him in his first training camp. Here’s a sample of his supporters.


If Toliver can continue to make waves and work his way up the depth chart the Bears’ secondary will be much better for it.



Deon Bush: Perhaps things are finally clicking for Bush. A fourth-round pick three years ago, we’re starting to see what Ryan Pace saw in the safety out of Miami.
Now, he hasn’t been perfect. He’s given up some catches in camp, but compared to years past, his play has drastically improved. It’s easy to tell he is playing with more confidence and understands his role in the defense to a better extent.
He’s gotten his hands on a handful of passes and is playing the ball rather aggressively. At this rate, Bush appears he’ll be a very strong third safety for Chicago behind Adrian Amos and Eddie Jackson.
Kyle Fuller: With a new contract under his belt, Fuller is playing with the utmost confidence.
He’s done it all. Fuller has gotten a strong amount of pass breakups, a few interceptions, and is even forcing fumbles during team drills.


For those fearing a letdown after a payday, need not worry. Fuller is ready to play. In fact, the aggressiveness he’s displayed so far in camp is reminiscent to his rookie year when he had three interceptions in his first three games. Fuller is having fun during practices, and at this rate, he’ll be having fun on Sundays too.
Isiah Irving: Due to Aaron Lynch being inactive throughout all of camp to date (see below), Irving has had an opportunity for extra work, and in it, he has steadily shown he’s improved his game. Last year’s camp (and preseason) standout added some bulk and muscle to his frame in hopes of being a contributor in the regular season.
Where he’s really shined so far in camp is during individual drills, this was especially true on Monday.


Irving does not need to go out and win a starting role. Instead, he needs to be a reliable contributor in the rotation at outside linebacker. So far, he’s proving he should able to.
Nick Kwiatkoski: With both Danny Trevathan (injury) and Roquan Smith (unsigned) not participating in camp so far, Kwiatkoski has impressed more often than not.
He has had a few hiccups. For instance, he struggled during individual blitz drills on Monday as he was unable to beat Tarik Cohen and Jordan Howard, but team drills are where he’s shined.


Something that may go under-the-radar with Kwiatkoski is the fact that he does not get much of a break during practice. With three inside linebackers currently not participating in practice, Kwiatkoski has been lining up with the 1’s, 2’s and sometimes even the 3’s.
These extra reps will benefit him in the long run, and the fourth-year linebacker should be applauded for his conditioning.

Stock Down ?

I need to preface this section by stating that it was extremely difficult to come up with a handful defenders who have disappointed as Vic Fangio’s guys have been solid throughout, and yes, it’s a good problem to have. 😉
Aaron Lynch: Wherefore art thou Lynch? The outside linebacker has been a no-show so far due to a hamstring injury. This is very unfortunate for a player who has had his fair share of injury issues. Don’t forget that Lynch had to miss some of OTAs with an ankle issue too.
As someone who really needs to prove himself to the Bears, not being available to practice really drives down his stock. Chicago is razor thin at the position, the Bears desperately need capable bodies in the rotation, and as of right now, Lynch is unable to provide that.



Jon Bullard: This does not mean that Bullard has had a dreadful camp. Instead, he’s still not performing to the level one should expect from him. He’s a player who has always seemed to play below his potential, and that remains true throughout the first few practices.
He started camp playing with the first-string defense but started losing time to Roy Robertson-Harris. Now it’s a position battle, and the Bears’ coaching staff will be giving both defensive ends looks, but the concerning part is the fact he took snaps with the third-string defense on Monday.
Additionally, he hasn’t made much noise. This is especially true for one-on-one drills.


There’s plenty of time for Bullard crank things up. He still has a prime opportunity to win the starting spot, but he needs to step up his game.
Marcus Cooper: More often than not, Cooper has been a liability in coverage. One could probably count his good plays on a couple of fingers, but for the most part, he leaves fans shaking their head in disappointment. His biggest blunder was a blown coverage when he allowed Tanner Gentry for an easy deep touchdown.


When you couple Cooper’s struggles with Toliver’s early accomplishments, it’s easy to see why Cooper may not be on the roster Week 1.
Jonathan Mincy: During our “Countdown to Camp” positional previews, most of us were high on what Mincy brought to the table. Coming from the CFL, he was known for being one of the best defensive backs in the league, and it was enticing to see what he’d provide the Chicago secondary.
So far, he hasn’t really provided much of anything. He hasn’t stood out (either for good or bad), and in many ways, has just blended in.
For a player who needs to make his presence felt in order to make the roster, this is not an ideal start to camp.
We’ll update these stock reports after the next round of open practices.

Will DeWitt

Will is the founder and host of The Chicago Audible podcast.

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