Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

6 Chicago Bears starters who need the most preseason reps

Originally posted on Chicago Bears on SI
By Pete Martuneac | Last updated Aug 6, 2025 10:53 AM ET

The Chicago Bears released their first unofficial depth chart on Tuesday, giving fans glimpses into how each position battle may be going. The listed starters are who most people expected to see, including Braxton Jones at left tackle, but a lot can change between now and the regular season, especially with preseason games set to begin this weekend.

Which prospective starters could use the most work in the preseason? Let's take a look.

1. Braxton Jones

Jones' 2024 season was cut short by a brutal leg injury in December, causing him to miss all of the May and June OTA's and minicamps, as well as the start of training camp. He'll need a good amount of reps just to get back into football shape, but also to solidify his role as a starter. Jones faces stiff competition for the starting left tackle spot from second-year Kiran Amegadjie and rookie Ozzy Trapilo.

Head coach Ben Johnson has confirmed that he won't rush to name a starting left tackle, but it'd be in Jones' best interest to lock that spot up early with a dominant showing in preseason games.

2. Caleb Williams

Williams needs to have a dominant year in 2025 if he wants to silence the doubters and become Chicago's first franchise quarterback in decades, and it can't take him until midseason to get into form. He needs to show significant progress from his rookie year right from the jump, which means he needs a good amount of preseason reps.

3. Andrew Billings

Billings, affectionately called 'Big Bill' by his teammates, missed the second half of the 2024 season with a torn pec. He's been getting into shape throughout the offseason program, but nothing can replace live reps against another team. He could use more reps than most veterans just to make sure he's back in football shape.

4. Drew Dalman

There's been a concerning number of exchange issues between Chicago's starting center and quarterback. Not alarming, but definitely concerning. The two of them would probably benefit from an increased workload in the preseason, especially on the road, to iron out whatever issues they seem to be having.

5. Jaquan Brisker

Another Bear who missed significant time in 2024 due to injury, Brisker should get as many reps as possible without freezing out the backups this preseason. He's entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Bears need to decide whether to pay him or let him walk. The only fair way of making that decision is with a full season and preseason of work to evaluate.

6. Rome Odunze

Similar to Dalman's situation, the Bears need Odunze to maximize his chemistry with quarterback Caleb Williams, which makes every rep invaluable, even in the preseason. Despite a solid rookie performance of more than 700 receiving yards, Odunze still left a lot of meat on the bone due to miscommunications. If the Bears are indeed going to be the team to make the biggest leap forward in 2025, Williams and Odunze both will need to have a dominant second NFL season.

This article first appeared on Chicago Bears on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: