Nahshon Wright has added bounce these days, fully aware of the opportunity he has been afforded. This is now Wright’s fifth NFL training camp but his first at Halas Hall, where Jaylon Johnson’s absence from the Bears secondary with a leg injury has opened a window.
“I have tried to show my willingness to compete. Every day,” Wright said Saturday. “I can play. I know that. When my number is called, I will perform. That’s where my head is at.”
In Minnesota last season, Wright saw the field just once on game day — as a special teams contributor for 15 snaps during a Vikings win in early December. That was it. Beyond that, he spent most of the season grinding on the practice squad.
But don’t think that was wasted time for the young cornerback.
Wright learned under the guidance of Vikings coordinator Brian Flores. During most practices, he was battling Justin Jefferson, Jordan Addison and Jalen Nailor.
“I’m there and I’m going against arguably the league’s best week after week,” Wright said. “There’s no doubt that helped me. I had to see it as a positive opportunity to work on my craft. And Justin is one of those guys who wants you to really go after him in practice. I loved that. It was fun to have that type of receiver letting you know, ‘Even on scout team, you can do what you want. Get after it. Play with it. Stay aggressive. And work your technique.’
“To be honest, all those receivers helped bring me along.”
Then, when an opening arose in April to sign a one-year deal with the Bears, Wright leaned into the opportunity to reunite with defensive backs coach Al Harris, who oversaw his early development with the Dallas Cowboys from 2021-23.
Photos: Chicago Bears practice in front of fans at training camp
“I knew the strong relationship we had,” Wright said. “And I honestly saw this as another opportunity to prove myself. This was a new coaching staff here. So it was kind of like fresh eyes on everybody.”
After a week of training camp at Halas Hall, Wright has emerged as one of the more pleasant surprises on the Bears roster. Johnson’s ongoing absence — and an uncertain timetable for his return — has opened the door for Wright to lock in at cornerback with the first-team defense. And, with his length and physicality, he seems like an ideal match in Dennis Allen’s defense, a system that relies heavily on man-to-man coverage with cornerbacks asked to be both physical and fearless.
“The fit feels great,” said Wright, who’s listed at 6-foot-4 and 199 pounds. “(Allen) emphasizes how he wants us to challenge receivers. He wants you in their face. At all times. No matter the situation. He wants you in their face.
“That breeds competition. Especially in camp, because even when you’re tired, you have to get up there and go press and go challenge. And in the run game, he wants us to be physical and stop the ball. I know I can provide that.”
Already, Wright has turned heads of teammates on both sides of the ball. Second-year receiver Rome Odunze, for example, admitted Saturday he had no idea who Wright was when the cornerback arrived in Lake Forest this spring. “But I’m familiar with him now,” Odunze said. “Man, he’s a baller. There aren’t many 6-4, 6-5 corners out there with his capabilities and his suddenness and agility. It’s been a challenge going against him every single day.”
Veteran safety Kevin Byard has recognized how reliable Wright has been, understanding his assignments and the demeanor Bears defensive backs are being asked to play with.
“I really like what I have seen from him,” Byard said. “I have full trust in him. He’s a veteran. He has been with (Harris) in Dallas so he already knows the defense and knows the technique and the things Al wants to get accomplished.”
Wright takes pride in his physicality, in his ability to disrupt receivers at the catch point, in his aggression and reliability as a tackler. In the weeks ahead — and with August joint practices coming up against the Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills — he will push to continue proving himself to Allen, Harris and head coach Ben Johnson.
“When you get these kinds of chances, your mindset has to be to earn trust from the coaches in case something were to happen,” Wright said. “Because, look, football happens, right? So they need to know that if it does, they can call on you and rely on you to perform.”
