With rookie minicamp being held this this week at Halas Hall, we asked recent Bears draft picks to provide advice for their teammates about the annual event. The NFL prospects will report Thursday and practice Friday and Saturday.

How should the rookies approach minicamp?

Colston Loveland (first round, 2025):

"They're definitely going to be chomping at the bit to make plays and go hard, which is good, which you need to do. The biggest thing is to know what you're doing. That's really going to stand out because there are going to be a lot of people not knowing what they're doing, running wrong routes. There's going to be quick installs and then right to the field. They've got to process quickly, so definitely stay in the playbook, stay healthy, and just have fun. Go ball out. This is what everyone dreamed of."

Tyrique Stevenson (second round, 2023):

"Just come in ready to work. It's definitely a blessing, one hell of an opportunity. But at the same time everyone is competing for a job. It's a revolving door. So the best thing to do is come in with your head down ready to work."

Luke Newman (sixth round, 2025):

"Don't be afraid to make mistakes. You're being put in a position that you've never been put in before where you're thrown into the fire a little bit with a new playbook, new coaches and new surroundings, and you're going against better players. Don't expect to get beat, but if it happens, it happens. Focus on the next play and control what you can control. Just worry about getting better and learning the plays as fast as you can."

What is the key to learning the playbook?

Austin Booker (fifth round, 2024):

"Getting in a group is helpful. Get with those guys and walk through it—really walk through it because you could study all night and then when you have to actually do it, it's not clicking. So actually walk through it and make it realistic."

Loveland:

"You've got to study not just in the building but at home. Write it down. I like to walk through stuff; that always helps me. And take notes."

Stevenson:

"Break it down into the easiest concepts. Categorize it in groups. At the end of the day, it's your job now, so if you have to stay up a couple hours later, you've got to stay up."

Newman:

"Thankfully for me, I came from a system that had similar 'Mike' IDs, similar scheme, similar techniques and to just tie it back to that was really helpful for me. But if you're someone who has had no prior experience [in a similar scheme], ask as many questions as you can and then do your best to implement those coaching points on the field. It may not go your way every time. The coaches will help you with that. But just make sure to never repeat the same mistake twice."

How should the rookies handle Thursday's orientation day, when they are measured for equipment, meet with athletic trainers and receive their playbooks?

Booker:

"Being friendly helps a lot. It helps just getting to know people that can help you in the long run, like nutritionists and the strength staff. Just get close to them."

Newman:

"It's very intimidating. Just try to be yourself. You'll find out pretty quickly if you try to pretend to be someone you're not it just makes your days miserable. If you're able to be yourself and listen to what the coaches have to tell you, things will go a lot smoother."

Any tips for what to do in positional meetings?

Stevenson:

"Always have a pen and a notebook ready and ask questions. The worst thing you could do is not ask a question and go out there and show you're not capable of learning it and putting it on the field the next day. The best thing to do is ask questions if you don't know something and execute at a high tempo."

Newman:

"As it pertains to the O-line room, [assistants] Dan [Roushar] and Kyle [DeVan] are always perceptive to any sort of questions the guys ask, no matter how minute or dumb they might seem. So really no matter what you have on your mind, just get it out there, let it be known to the coaches and they'll correct it, they'll teach it."

Booker:

"Definitely take notes so you have something to go back over at night. Just be attentive and take coaching well."

Any parting words of advice?

Booker:

"Get to sleep early. That's the biggest thing. You're going to wake up early regardless, so get to sleep early."

Newman:

"Make sure you get a basic grasp and understanding of [the playbook] and then once you have a good grasp of that, then you can start digging into the specifics of each of those plays."

Loveland:

"Don't stress yourself out too much. Obviously, it's stressful and it needs to be because it's a high intense moment, but don't stress about the playbook. Do everything you can do in your power to understand it and learn it and go out there and play free because if you're thinking too much then you're not going to be playing free."