Top under-the-radar Chicago Bears players to watch in 2025: No. 5 Zah Frazier

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 his new head coach and continued in the following months when Poles revamped his offensive line and boosted the defensive line.

There’s plenty to watch once training camp starts in July. Many will look to see how the Bears adjust to Johnson’s new coaching staff and how quarterback Caleb Williams looks heading into his second season.

But there are some under-the-radar players who could become contributors in 2025. Shaw Local is counting down the top five under-the-radar Bears this week. 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. Check back each day this week for the next installment.

No. 5 Zah Frazier

Position: Cornerback

Experience: Rookie

Looking back: The Bears selected Frazier, a UTSA cornerback, in the fifth round of this year’s draft at 169 overall. Frazier was the third defensive player Poles drafted 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 Frazier out 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 by intercepting six passes 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 the Bears’ secondary, who likes to play physically and talks a lot too.

Looking ahead: Frazier isn’t in contention to be a starter. Poles locked up cornerbacks Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon with extensions the past two offseasons, and Stevenson will try to prove he should be a starter, too.

But he’s a player under the radar for the Bears because he could make an impact if he’s given a chance. Frazier likely will 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.”

Frazier will try to grow quickly during training camp and provide depth for a deep position group.