Chicago Bears

Who are the five best Bears players under the age of 25?

Published Jan. 11, 2016 10:11 a.m. ET

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The Chicago Bears have to identify their building blocks for the future, then build around them with free agents and draft picks. If general manager Ryan Pace can bring in the right players, head coach John Fox could turn the Bears into a playoff-caliber team sooner rather than later.

Here are the Bears' top five players under the age of 25.

1. Eddie Goldman, defensive tackle, 22 years old

Eddie Goldman anchored the Bears' 3-4 defense from his nose tackle position in 2015. The 332-pounder played in 15 games (12 starts) before his rookie season ended on injured reserve with an ankle injury. As a second-round pick, Goldman lived up to his draft-day potential with an instant impact in the form of 22 tackles (16 solo) and 4.5 sacks.

2. Jeremy Langford, running back, 24 years old

There was little room for another running back to emerge behind veteran Matt Forte in 2015, but Jeremy Langford made the most of his opportunity. He played in all 16 games and even earned a couple starts in the middle of the season, when Forte was sidelined by a knee injury. By the end of the year, Langford had cut significantly into Forte's workload. The fourth-round rookie produced 816 yards of offense and seven touchdowns on 170 total touches.

3. Kyle Fuller, cornerback, 23 years old

The Bears are still waiting for Kyle Fuller to have his breakthrough season, but the former first-round draft pick has already developed into a serviceable starter at the very least. The Virginia Tech product has played all 32 games (30 starts) since entering the NFL, recording 19 defended passes and six interceptions. Chicago can help Fuller reach his potential by bolstering their secondary this offseason.

4. Adrian Amos, safety, 22 years old

The biggest surprise in Chicago this season was Adrian Amos, who started all 16 games after joining the team as a fifth-round draft pick. He finished the season as the team's third leading tackler with 67 stops (57 solo), as well as two defended passes and a sack. Considering the lack of consistency at the starting safety position beside him, Amos' rookie performance far exceeded expectations.

5. Charles Leno, offensive tackle, 24 years old

Charles Leno was a quiet contributor who also exceeded expectations in 2015. The former seventh-round draft pick started 13 games after appearing in only six as a rookie. The Bears need to bring in a tackle this offseason so Kyle Long can move back to guard, but there should be no clamor to find a replacement for Leno.

*Note: Wide receiver Kevin White, 23, was not included on this list since he did not play in 2015.

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