Four Bears' rookies who will need to take advantage of every opportunity in front of them during training camp

The Chicago Bears' rookie class and undrafted free agent signings will report back to Halas Hall for the start of their first training camp later today.

The rest of the team's veterans will report back to the team facilities on Friday with the first closed practice of training camp starting on Saturday.

The Bears still have a few open positions and spots on the 53-man roster up for grabs and some of those could be filled by certain rookies if they can shine over the next few practice sessions. Here are four rookies in contention for those spots who will need to take advantage of every opportunity in front of them during training camp.

QB Austin Reed

The Bears' undrafted free agent quarterback is still in contention for the third-string quarterback position, but it's going to be an uphill battle against veteran and journey man backup Brett Rypien. Due to his experience in the league, Rypien has the upper hand for the potential spot on the roster, just for the sake of having an experienced voice in the ear of first overall pick Caleb Williams.

As for the backup quarterback position, former UDFA Tyson Bagent seems to have his 2023 role locked up once again and for good reason . Reed's best shot at making the 53-man roster and avoiding the practice squad is by reporting back to Halas Hall ready to showcase his knowledge of the new scheme being put in place.

The main factor in Reed's corner is actually offensive assistant and former NFL quarterback Ryan Griffin, whom head coach Matt Eberflus noted was brought onto the staff to be the veteran quarterback voice for Williams. If Griffin can fill that role without having to waste a roster spot, Reed's athletic traits could push him over Rypien for the emergency quarterback role if he can prove he's better on the field.

DT Keith Randolph Jr.

Following the departure of defensive tackle Justin Jones in free agency, the Bears have an open spot on the roster at the ready as a backup defensive tackle. Second-year Zacch Pickens already has filled one of those spots but the other is up for grabs.

Battling for that open spot in training camp will be Keith Randolph Jr., Michael Dwumfour, and Dashaun Mallory. Based on his contract and guarantees, the Bears were really high on bringing Randolph in after the draft came to a close.

The former Illinois standout put up some really strong numbers and excelled as a run-stopping interior defensive lineman. If those traits continue to pop during training camp, he easily should be considered for the role and potential playing time as well.

OL Kiran Amegadjie

After missing OTAs and minicamp due to an injury suffered during his final season at Yale, the Bears coaches and fans are hoping to see third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie take the field with the rest of the offensive line during training camp.

That was the initial timeframe that Eberflus placed on his rookie offensive lineman earlier this summer and we'll soon see if that holds true. Once Amegadjie takes the field as a full participant, we'll be able to see how the coaching staff plans to utilize his talents up-front.

If he can take the field early in camp, Amegadjie will be in contention for the swing tackle job and be one of the first depth pieces that could fill in at tackle if Braxton Jones or Darnell Wright were to go down. He's an underrated piece to have on the roster and fans are eager to see him in action.

OL Theo Benedet

While we're discussing the offensive line, UDFA Theo Benedet is another addition the team brought in after the draft who has a realistic chance to make the roster if he can put together a strong showing during camp.

The Bears have plenty of depth options to choose from when it comes time to narrow down the roster and versatility is key to making the cut. Benedet believes he can play all five positions up-front if need be and already has a fan in OL coach Chris Morgan.

“He’s a flexible guy. He’s got a lot of positional flex,” Morgan said via The Athletic . “There’s a lot of value in a guy like that that’s athletic enough to play outside and strong enough to play inside and smart enough to handle the workload.”

With his versatility, age, and cost to keep on the roster, Benedet already has a lot of things going his way in order to survive the cut downs. Now, it's all up to whether or not he can showcase his skills on the field during practice.

Others: RB Ian Wheeler and CB Reddy Stewart

Two other rookies who could be battling for a more secure spot during the next few weeks at camp is running back Ian Wheeler and cornerback Reddy Stewart. Wheeler's special teams value has a strong shot to land him into the roster and push fellow running back Travis Homer off the team. As for Stewart, the Bears have a ton of cornerbacks in the room and will need to make some tough evaluations to determine how the depth pieces will be constructed and it's up to Stewart to turn some heads.

Related: Chicago Bears Training Camp Preview: Strength of the defensive line will depend on young players stepping up