Bears Depth Chart Prediction: Making sense of all the offensive weapons and the left tackle situation heading into Week 1 vs. Vikings

Wide Receivers

Starters: DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, and Olamide Zaccheaus
Backups: Luther Burden III, Jahdae Walker, and Devin Duvernay

At the same time, Moore will be leading the team's attack from the wide receiver position along with a potential breakout star in Rome Odunze and a reliable Olamide Zaccheaus. Rookie Luther Burden III gives the team another dynamic player at the position to mix in on offense.

Tight Ends

Starters: Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland
Backup: Durham Smythe

This is where Ben Johnson's creativity can create problems for opposing defenses. The TE duo of Cole Kmet and rookie Colston Loveland will present some nightmarish matchups to defend, as we saw briefly during the preseason. Both players will play extensively with Durham Smythe giving the unit an additional blocker to use in short-yardage situations.

Offensive Line

Left Tackle: Braxton Jones
Left Guard: Joe Thuney
Center: Drew Dalman
Right Guard: Jonah Jackson
Right Tackle: Darnell Wright
Backups: Ozzy Trapilo, Theo Benedet, Luke Newman, Ryan Bates, Kiran Amegadjie

Only one position remains unassigned on the starting offense and it's at left tackle. Later this week, we'll get an official confirmation, but all signs point toward Braxton Jones opening the season as the starter. As for the rest of the front, the interior of the Bears' offensive line got a total overhaul with Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson coming in as new starters. Even the depth up-front looks noticeably better compared to previous years.

Defensive Ends

Starters: Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo
Backups: Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy

Defensively, this is the most concerning position. The Bears are banking on a bounce-back season from Montez Sweat and a breakout from Dayo Odeyingbo off the edge. Losing Austin Booker for the first four games, at least, was a major blow to the depth at this position as well.

Interior Defensive Line

Starters: Gervon Dexter Sr. and Grady Jarrett
Backups: Andrew Billings, Shemar Turner, and Chris Williams

As a result, defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have to get creative with his interior stable of defenders. Gervon Dexter Sr. will be the main chess piece to move around while veteran Grady Jarrett collapses the pocket from the inside. As for depth, Andrew Billings and rookie Shemar Turner are nice rotational players to mix in to keep everyone fresh.

Linebackers

Starters: Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards
Backups: Noah Sewell (SAM), Ruben Hyppolite II, and D'Marco Jackson

In base sets, I see the Bears trotting out two linebackers in Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards with Noah Sewell being the third guy in 3LB sets. The Edmunds/Edwards duo will be exciting to watch as Allen plans to use both players in different roles when it comes to coverage assignment and blitzing.

Cornerbacks

Starters: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, and Tyrique Stevenson
Backups: Nahshon Wright, Josh Blackwell, Nick McCloud, and Jaylon Jones

The cornerback room will be dependent on the availability of Jaylon Johnson in Week 1. The team's Pro Bowler missed all of camp due to a leg injury and the team is optimistic he can get back on the field by Monday without any limitations. As for the other outside position, Tyrique Stevenson gets the nod as a "starter" but will rotate with Nahshon Wright while Kyler Gordon slides into the slot as the defense's "Joker" player.

Safeties

Starters: Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker
Backups: Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks

Running it back with the same duo at safety in Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker. Brisker's presence in the secondary was greatly missed last season after suffering a concussion and it's been great to have him back. He's another "Joker" player who can line up anywhere and attack the offense while Byard patrols the deep part of the secondary.

Specialists

Kicker: Cairo Santos
Punter: Tory Taylor
Long Snapper: Scott Daly
Returner: Devin Duvernay

The only changes for this unit is Devin Duvernay, the former All-Pro kick returner who will hopefully provide more of a big-play spark. It is worth noting the work Cairo Santos and Tory Taylor have done this offseason in preparation for the 2025 season.