Larry Mayer

The Bears kicked off rookie minicamp Friday with the first of three non-contact practices at Halas Hall. After the workout, coach Ben Johnson and the team's top four draft picks spoke to the media. Here are 10 takeaways from those sessions:

(1) The rookies lauded the electricity that Johnson brought to the practice field.

"I'm a big fan," said tight end Colston Loveland, a first-round pick from Michigan. "I love his spirit, his energy. He's super determined. He's ready to go. He's ready to take this thing to the top. I've seen him getting on people's butts. [He's] fired up too. I'm loving how he coaches. It's early, but I'm excited to play for him."

"He has really good energy," added offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo, a second-round selection from Boston College. "I think all the guys are excited to be here. Great energy on the practice field. It was really good today."

(2) After spending the last 13 seasons as an NFL assistant with the Dolphins and Lions, Friday's practice was Johnson's first as a head coach.

"I've never blown the whistle to stop the play; I've got a little bit of work to do there," he said with a smile. "I can get better in that aspect. Other than that, it was great. I'm surrounded by a phenomenal coaching staff. It was fun to watch them get their hands on these players and be able to work with them like that. I'm very encouraged."

(3) Regardless of their status, all 47 prospects participating in rookie minicamp have a chance to earn a spot on the 53-man roster.

The group is comprised of eight draft picks, 10 undrafted free agents, six first-year Bears players and 23 unsigned rookies who are participating on a tryout basis.

"Any time you get the opportunity to be in a building, just like now, you're always being evaluated," Johnson said. "It doesn't matter if you were a draft pick, if you were an undrafted signee, if you're a tryout guy this weekend, we're taking everything into account. They earned one opportunity. We talked last night about now you have to earn your next opportunity. So, the door's wide open for that."

(4) While players have a chance to impress during rookie minicamp, no positions will be won until the pads come on in training camp.

"We're not earning jobs here this springtime," Johnson said. "[Offensively], we're still trying to comprehend this system. We've taught a big-picture view really over the last few weeks. We haven't even formally installed a specific play in a formation all at once yet. We'll do that once we get to OTAs. There's a lot that's going on in everyone's head right now."

One position that's especially difficult to evaluate without pads is the offensive line.

"We've been focused particularly in that room about our fundamentals," Johnson said. "I really don't want to get too much into depth of what that personnel's going to look like. We just simply don't know. We'll find that out when we get pads on. You can't climb the depth chart in the springtime, particularly on O-line and D-line if we don't have the pads on."

(5) Loveland feels that he benefited from playing in a pro-style offense at Michigan.

The first-round pick appeared in 39 games the past three seasons for the Wolverines, catching 117 passes for 1,466 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Loveland was named first-team All-Big Ten in 2023 when he helped Michigan win the national championship, recording 45 receptions for a career-high 649 yards and four TDs. Last year he established career highs with 56 catches and five touchdowns while compiling 582 yards.

"Playing there helped a ton," Loveland said. "It's a pro-style offense. Always two tight ends on the field. A lot of the terminology and everything kind of flows right into it. We use the same stuff. It has helped me, for sure. We've got a long way to go though. It's a new offense and I'm just excited to get in it and get right."

(6) Loveland is eager to remain in Chicago following rookie minicamp and begin working with fellow tight end Cole Kmet and other veteran teammates.

"I'm super excited just to meet him," Loveland said. "I've heard great things about all the vets. You can tell it's a very tight culture here and everyone is super nice. I'm just excited to learn from him. They've been in the league for a long time, so just little tips and tricks that they've got. And even with the playbook, just learning everything from them and just watching, emulating."

(7) The chip on receiver Luther Burden III's shoulder that stems from not being drafted in the first round is not a temporary thing.

"No, that's staying with me forever," said the Missouri product, who was selected by the Bears in the second round at No. 39. "Everybody who passed up on me has got to pay."

(8) Burden liked what he heard from Lions receiver and former high school teammate Jameson Williams about playing for Johnson.

"He told me I'm going to love it, so let's go," Burden said.

As Lions offensive coordinator the last three years, Johnson worked closely with Williams, who was selected by Detroit in 2022 with the 12th pick in the first round.

Burden and Williams played one season together at Cardinal Ritter College Prep in St. Louis.

"He was a senior, I was a freshman," Burden said. "We got a great relationship throughout my career because he was someone I can ask for advice if I needed it, and we always work out together and stuff like that."

(9) Trapilo is confident that he can play both left and right tackle.

The 6-8, 316-pounder started all 34 games he played at Boston College the past three seasons, lining up at left tackle in 2022 and right tackle in 2023-24.

He switched sides after Matt Applebaum took over as offensive line coach and wanted to put Trapilo next to right guard Christian Mahogany, who returned after missing the 2022 season with a torn ACL.

"Throughout college I knew I wanted to play in the NFL, so you have to be versatile," Trapilo said. "That's the quickest way to get on the field. So after practice, even though I was a right tackle the last two years in college, [I was] working left, making sure that it's still smooth, that it still feels good.

"Especially after the season, I was working even more left than right just because [I was] catching up for lost time. It felt good today."

10) Many of the rookies were transported to the practice fields for Friday's workouts via golf carts, but Shemar Turner was not among them.

The second-round defensive tackle from Texas A&M wanted to take a moment to reflect on such a momentous occasion in his life.

"Oh man, it was surreal," Turner said of his first NFL practice. "Instead of taking the cart to the field today, I walked and just tried to soak it in. [It's a] dream come true. [I'm] finally getting to do what I've been wanting to do for my whole life."

Asked what he was thinking about on the way to practice, he said: "Shoot, everything. Dream job, bro. I get to do this every day now until I get ready to stop. Talked to my brother, talked to God. Had a good time."