LAKE FOREST, Ill. – The Bears concluded their three-day rookie minicamp with their third and final non-contact practice on a sunny and mild Sunday at Halas Hall. 

The rookies then scattered across the country, heading home following their first taste of the NFL. They are not permitted to return to Halas Hall until May 16, with organized team activity (OTA) workouts beginning May 20.

Seventh-round draft pick Derek Kinder caught the ball well throughout Bears rookie minicamp.

“We know a lot more about our players now,” said coach Lovie Smith. “You have a feeling what type of players they are, but we got a chance to see them.”

Non-contact camps are designed for skill-position players to shine, and the three wide receivers the Bears selected in the draft last weekend didn’t disappoint. Third-rounder Juaquin Iglesias, fifth-rounder Johnny Knox and seventh-rounder Derek Kinder all impressed coaches.

“I thought they had three good days,” said offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “I was very pleased with all three of them. I thought they caught the ball very well, No. 1.

“Obviously they all have some work to do on their route-running, to run [routes] the way we run and all that and play the game at the speed it has to be played at here. That’s the thing we tried to get them to understand all week, is that the game speed’s going to be a little different than it was in college. We want them to play fast. But I was pleased with all of them; how they learned and what they did.”

Out of 24 plays in 7-on-7 drills Sunday, Iglesias caught eight passes, Kinder snared two and Knox hauled in one. Defensive highlights were provided by cornerback D.J. Moore, who caused an incompletion by stripping the ball away from George Smith; cornerback Derek Pegues, who broke up a pass intended for Kinder; and safety Al Afalava, who nearly had an interception after making a good break on the ball.

The greatest challenge for the rookies was stepping on the practice field for the first time Friday less than 24 hours after receiving their playbooks.

“It was pretty tough,” Kinder said. “But once you get to studying and you get to learn it a little bit, everything starts to click. These past three days we learned a lot and we’re going to grow.”

“It was pretty hard, but we learned through college,” Afalava said. “I was just amazed. We put in just one coverage and there are so many concepts that we had to learn. It was just a good opportunity to learn something different.”

Afalava, a sixth-round pick from Oregon State, felt that the rookie minicamp was a positive first step.

“It went pretty well,” he said. “You’ve just got to be coachable out there; listen to the coaches and do what they [say]. All I could do is just go out there and execute. I think I did OK. It’s just a matter of learning the plays and just getting the mental part. The physical part will always be there. But it’s just learning the plays and learning the defense, and it went well.”

Safety Al Afalava broke up a pass he nearly intercepted during 7-on-7 drills Sunday.

Kinder agreed with his new teammate.

“I think it went real well,” he said. “I think we improved every day. Our main goal was to learn the playbook and get accustomed to everything, and I think we did that.”

Smith knows that all of the rookies have special skills and ability. The biggest adjustment, the coach believes, is convincing them that they belong in the NFL and trying to get them caught up mentally so they can play fast and show what type of players they truly are.

“That’s why we try to wean them into it and bring them in by themselves first,” Smith said. “When they do come back, they will have a chance to put their best foot forward.”

The Bears could sign a few of the players who participated in minicamp on a tryout basis like they did a year ago when they inked punter Zacrey Atterberry, defensive end Gerard Lee, guard Ryan Poles and tight end Marcus Stone following impressive performances.

“Some of the tryout guys made an impression on us,” Smith said. “We’ll go back as a staff, evaluate some of them and see if we should bring some of them back. I’m not going to talk numbers or names or anything like that, but there are a couple guys we do need to consider. The next time our rookies come back, they’ll be with our veterans and really start the work of trying to make the ballclub.”

Smith was asked whether general manager Jerry Angelo’s assertion last weekend that six of the Bears' nine draft picks could make the 53-man roster seemed accurate following the rookie minicamp.

“I’m trying to figure out what three Jerry didn’t like,” Smith joked. “Really, as you look at our draft, it was a good draft. All of the players we drafted I think bring something to the table. They have a chance. 

"You look at our history, and tryout players have started for us. [Safety] Brandon McGowan started for us. We’ve had free agents [start], so I think most of the draft picks along with a couple of the free agents will have a chance. You’re trying to get great competition and it seems like every year we get more based on the kind of players we have.”