5 standouts from Day 7 of Bears training camp practice

The Chicago Bears are in the thick of training camp practices as they inch closer and closer to the start of the 2024 season. Every rep counts for this team as they look to install a brand new offense with new playmakers, including rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

On defense, the Bears are building off a successful 2023 season with many of the same starters in place. They will look to solidify themselves as a top defense, while role players on both sides try and make an impact to secure a roster spot when the preseason wraps up.

After every practice, we will be highlighting a handful of players who stood out and why. Day 7 of camp practice was a sloppy one for the offense as pre-snap miscues and poor fundamentals negated any sort of momentum. It was clear the defense had the edge in what was the Bears' longest practice of camp at just over two and a half hours. Here were the standouts from Saturday's session:

1. DB Reddy Steward

Reddy Steward was, in fact, ready on Saturday. The undrafted rookie had a penchant for picking off passes in college and showed off those abilities during the latest practice. Steward intercepted Williams one play after veteran Adrian Colbert did the same thing in 7-on-7s. Steward also had a nice breakup on a pass from backup Tyson Bagent in team drills, via Greg Braggs of CHGO. Making the final roster will be difficult for Steward, but plays like the ones he made on Saturday show there was a reason why he had nine interceptions at Troy. He'll be someone to watch going forward.

2. DT Andrew Billings

It's hard to miss defensive tackle Andrew Billings when he's on the field. It's even harder when he's yelling at the offensive line. Billings was disrupting the offense without even having to break through center Coleman Shelton or guards Ryan Bates and Teven Jenkins. When the team was getting set, the defensive tackle kept yelling "Move!" to the linemen, which created false starts. Pre-snap penalties plagued the Bears offense on Saturday all practice long, and Billings was partially responsible, as ESPN's Courtney Cronin points out.

3. TE Gerald Everett

The defense won the day; there's no question about it, but that doesn't mean the offense didn't have any standouts. One of them was veteran tight end Gerald Everett. As Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune details, Everett and Williams connected for one of the plays of the day. The rookie quarterback evaded the blitz from linebacker T.J. Edwards to find Everett while on the move. Bear Report's Zack Pearson noted that Everett got 15 yards upfield with the completion. Everett signed with the Bears during free agency and should have a consistent role on offense opposite Cole Kmet. He's already developing a nice connection with Williams.

4. LB Micah Baskerville

It feels just like yesterday that linebacker Micah Baskerville was tearing up the practice fields up at Halas Hall by making numerous interceptions and pass breakups. He's back to his old tricks in Year 2. Baskerville had a solid day on Saturday, breaking up a pass intended for tight end Stephen Carlson and securing a pick off a bobble by running back Khalil Herbert, as NBC Sports Chicago's Alex Shapiro details. Baskerville still has a steep hill to climb in a crowded linebacker room once again, but he was hard to ignore last summer. He's making it hard to miss him once again.

5. DE Austin Booker

The Bears have a pair of first-round rookies who are turning heads in Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze, but don't forget about their final pick of the 2024 NFL Draft, defensive end Austin Booker. The Bears are excited about what the Kansas standout can do, and they're throwing everything at him. On Saturday, The Athletic's Adam Jahns noticed Booker was getting after the passer more now that pads are on. He wasn't just rushing from the end spot, either. Pearson saw Booker getting reps both inside and outside, showing some potential versatility with what he can do.

The cherry on top of the day, however, was hearing defensive end Montez Sweat praise the rookie. He gave a noteworthy answer when he was asked by NFL Network's Marc Ross about Booker. "I told him [Booker] yesterday that as a rookie, he's light years ahead of where I was as a rookie," Sweat said. "I'm expecting big things out of him."

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: 5 standouts from Day 7 of Bears training camp practice