The Bears made a lot of the headlines in the NFL this offseason. It started when general manager Ryan Poles hired Ben Johnson to be the new head coach and continued when Poles revamped his offensive line and boosted the defensive line.
There’s plenty to watch once training camp starts in July, including some under-the-radar players who could become contributors in 2025. These could be Bears who are waiting for an opportunity to take on a bigger role, rookies looking to make an impact or simply a player who Bears fans aren’t talking enough about.
Here’s a look at No. 5 on the list of under-the-radar Bears players. Check back each day this week for the next installment.
No. 5 Zah Frazier
Position: Cornerback
Experience: Rookie
Looking back: The Bears selected Frazier out of UTSA in the fifth round of this year’s draft. Frazier was the third defensive player Poles selected in this year’s draft, behind defensive tackle Shemar Turner and linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II. He’s also the first cornerback Poles drafted since taking Tyrique Stevenson in the second round in 2023.
Bears passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach Al Harris pointed out Frazier to Poles and his scouting staff during the draft process. Poles liked Frazier’s potential because of his length and speed and said he could fit well in defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s system that has plenty of man-to-man coverage.
Frazier really took off in his lone season as a starter for the Roadrunners last year. He set a school record with six interceptions and led his team with nine pass breakups and a forced fumble.
Frazier told reporters after he was drafted that he plays with a fearless mentality. That’ll fit well with other players in the Bears’ secondary who like to play physically and talk a lot too.
Looking ahead: Frazier isn’t in contention to be a starter. Poles locked up cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon to extensions the past two offseasons and Stevenson will try to prove he belongs as a starter.
But Frazier will likely compete with Terell Smith and Josh Blackwell for backup snaps at cornerback. If he impresses and a starter suffers an injury, he could step in quickly.
Although Frazier needs to develop and put on more weight to compete with the physicality of the NFL, Allen liked what he saw early on from Frazier.
“Here’s another guy that’s a young developmental corner, he’s got a lot of things that he’s got to learn,” Allen said in the spring. “But he’s got the tools for us to work with. And who better to work with him than Harris, a guy that’s got kind of a similar frame and played a long time in this league and had a lot of success. So we’re excited about getting the opportunity to work with him and helping him grow.”