CANTON, Ohio — Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Matt Eberflus exuded confidence at the start of training camp when they said this roster will be more difficult to make.

They weren’t bragging or saying the Bears have arrived or they’re set everywhere. Just a matter-of-fact assessment that the talent level has been raised, and after one preseason game and two weeks of practice, that’s evident.

Some players have flashed in practice or in Thursday’s weather-shortened 21-17 victory over the Houston Texans in the Hall of Fame Game — maybe in both. But when you look at the depth at individual positions and start wondering about the 53-man roster and how each side of the ball will look, well, I keep running into the same question for a good handful of players.

What’s the path for [x] to make the roster?: Beyond injury, how can these players make the team? In many cases, they will not. Some might have spots on the practice squad. Here are five players who have gotten their names out there.

1. WR Collin Johnson

People will talk about his ability to use his big frame (6-foot-6, 222 pounds) as a boundary X wide receiver, which he did Thursday to record three catches for 56 yards and two touchdowns.

But maybe the most important thing he did was make a tackle on the kickoff team. Any chance Johnson has of making the roster will be predicated on his ability to help in a variety of ways.

He played 169 snaps on special teams in 2020 for the Jacksonville Jaguars and 108 the next season for the New York Giants. He has to prove to special teams coordinator Richard Hightower that he can be valuable in two, maybe three, phases.

2. LB Carl Jones

The undrafted rookie from UCLA is making a transition. He was primarily a rush end in college, and while the Bears list him as a defensive lineman, the 6-2, 230-pounder is playing linebacker. He moves pretty well and is physical, so he ought to be interesting for a look on special teams. Jones had a game-high seven tackles with one for a loss and an assisted tackle on special teams.

3. CB Reddy Steward

The undrafted rookie from Troy spent most of the last week running with the first team at nickel back with starter Kyler Gordon sidelined by a calf injury. Steward has done well — he had a pick-six against Caleb Williams in 7-on-7 drills in practice — and the coaches have a pretty good idea about what they have in Greg Stroman and Josh Blackwell, the other options at nickel.

The more chances Steward gets, the more he proves he has terrific football instincts. I’m hearing the team needs to see how he’s tested when he goes against speed. Steward is a little on the small side, listed at 5-11 and 178 pounds, but he was durable during a five-year college career.

Those measurables are probably what prevented him from being drafted. There’s something to like here, but can he be a factor on special teams?

4. CB Leon Jones

Another undrafted rookie, Jones had two pass breakups Thursday and has had his moments in camp too. The Arkansas State product is a totally different player than Steward; Jones has great size at 6-1, 195. It’s a really crowded and young group of cornerbacks, but no one is getting rid of good ones who can play.

5. G Bill Murray

It’s not often Eberflus drops a name out of the blue, but that’s precisely what happened earlier this week with Murray. He played right guard Thursday after he had been on the left side some in camp and is trying to get work at center when and where he can.

“Nope,” Murray said when I asked if he heard that Eberflus brought up his name. “I try not to look or read or see anything like that.”

With the frontline players sure to get some action in the next two preseason games, opportunities will be confined to practice reps for some younger players. There will be some jobs up for grabs and some pretty good discussions, but it really is a more difficult roster to make.

“To me, if you’re at the back end of the roster at linebacker, at receiver or whatever those hot spots are — halfback — the more you can do,” Eberflus said. “You’ve got to be able to do a lot. If you’re a four-core guy and you’re playing on all the special teams and you’re lighting it up, that’s probably a good thing. To me, it’s all competition. That’s why we do camp.”

Booker has a handful of successful rushes: Press-box statistics gave the fifth-round pick from Kansas only one tackle. I came into the game curious to see what Booker, who has really opened some eyes at camp, could do.

A week ago, on the morning of the first practice in full pads, he announced his arrival to anyone on the team who wasn’t aware. During the two-minute drill, he won on four consecutive snaps with four different rushes. It was a wow moment for those watching.

“He’s just tough to hit as a pass rusher,” defensive coordinator Eric Washington said. “He has a great feel for how to contort his body, how to flip or rotate his hips and shoulders so that he can keep advancing toward the quarterback and put himself in great position to follow through.”

One thing that has struck me about Booker isn’t his length — it’s his ability to use that length. We assume every tall, rangy defensive lineman with long arms will have an edge because of those physical tools. I’ve fallen into this trap. Look at the length on that guy. He has a chance to be a freak. Then you watch him play and he’s as ordinary as can be.

The 6-6, 245-pound Booker has a feel for using his length to keep offensive linemen out of his chest and to set up moves.

He was self-analyzing after the game at his locker, lamenting not finishing on a few plays in which he easily drove the tackle back.

“I just have to convert off that power faster,” he said. “Whether that’s throwing them by or pulling them through, outside or inside. I’ve been grabbing tools and taking stuff out of people’s toolboxes the whole time during camp. I’m continually adding.”

We’re a ways off from knowing what Booker can do in the regular season against starting-caliber tackles, but there’s some intrigue at Halas Hall about him that’s worth watching.

This doesn’t always pan out. Remember, Dominique Robinson had 1½ sacks and seven tackles in his debut as a rookie in 2022 against a really good San Francisco 49ers team. And now he faces an uphill battle to make this team.