LAKE FOREST – Over the next three days, it’s all about the “freshman” at Halas Hall, from those selected in the NFL Draft those just trying to make an impression on the team.
That’s what rookie minicamp is all about as the Bears get the chance to see which players might factor into their plans for the 2022 season and beyond.
Of these players, a healthy amount of them have connections to either the Chicago area or hail from Illinois.
There are ten of those players on the roster for the team’s three days of work with the first-year players in Lake Forest.
Doug Kramer is the draft pick with a local connection as the sixth-round pick is from Hinsdale, played at Hinsdale Central High School and then Illinois. He was a second-team All-Big Ten selection in 2021.
Two undrafted free agent signees hail from Chicago, with the first being linebacker Jack Sanborn, who played high school at Lake Zurich before a standout career at Wisconsin where he was an All-Conference first team selection in 2021.
Crete native and wide receiver Landon Lenoir, who went to Crete-Monee High School, ranked third in receptions and second in yardage during his time at Southern Illinois.
Seven other players from the Chicago area or Illinois are in camp as a rookie tryout player:
Cornerback Dishon McNary (Central Michigan) – ChicagoRunning Back Maurice Burkley (Louisville) – NapervilleRunning Back Timothy McCloyn (Illinois State) – BarringtonInside Linebacker Jaylan Alexander (Purdue) – Hoffman EstatesDefensive End Joshua Black (Syracuse) – Loves ParkDefensive End Elijah James (Liberty) – ChicagoDefensive Tackle Micah Dew-Treadway (Minnesota) – Bolingbrook