Projecting the Bears Depth Chart and 53-Man Roster After the Draft

No surprises here, and I don't think I need to justify this projection.

Running Back: D'Andre Swift, Kyle Monangai, Coleman Bennett

As aforementioned, Bennett is an underdog worth believing in. I think he supplants Roschon Johnson, who was the RB3 on Chicago's depth chart to start last season, but only got two rushing attempts in seven games.

Wide Receiver: Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Kalif Raymond, Jahdae Walker, Zavion Thomas, JP Richardson

The 2026 NFL season is a big one for Rome Odunze. After this year, he will become eligible for an extension, and so far, he hasn't proven to be worth the No. 9 overall pick that was used to select him. He needs to show that he can be a dominant WR1, especially with Luther Burden III already hot on his heels.

Raymond is an obvious choice as WR3, given his extensive experience with Ben Johnson in Detroit. As for the rest of the group, there's some good potential in these young players, especially Zavion Thomas, who can help the Bears duplicate Ben Johnson's Lions' attack.

Tight End: Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet, Sam Roush.

I'm as surprised as anyone that Loveland snatched Kmet's TE1 role in just one season, but his talent is undeniable. Will Roush follow in Loveland's footsteps and prove to be the TE2 as a rookie? Kmet could soon find himself expendable if the rookie shows out.

Offensive Line: Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Logan Jones, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Jedrick Wills, Garrett Bradbury, Jordan McFadden, Theo Benedet, Luke Newman

The Bears will likely carry ten offensive linemen on their roster again, with the starters being mostly predictable except for center and left tackle. For the latter, I expect Braxton Jones to win the starting role by the end of training camp. Meanwhile, I gave an 'A' grade for the Bears' second-round pick of center Logan Jones, and I expect him to seize the starting center job early in August.

Ozzy Trapilo will start the year on IR, and once he's ready to return, he will likely take Benedet's roster spot.

Defensive Ends: Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, Dayo Odeyingbo, Shemar Turner, Daniel Hardy

Sweat, Booker, and Odeyingbo are the obvious starters in this group. Despite being drafted as a defensive tackle, Shemar Turner is likely to be moved to defensive end in Year 2. Hardy, who signed a two-year contract extension with Chicago back in March, will round out the group.

Defensive Tackle: Gervon Dexter Sr., Grady Jarrett, Neville Gallimore, Kentavius Street, Jordan van den Berg

This entire position group needs to prove itself in 2026. Dexter is set to enter free agency next year unless he can show significant development, and Jarrett will almost certainly be a salary cap casualty in 2027 unless he rebounds from his 2025 season. Gallimore and Street are decent depth options, but van den Berg is arguably the most intriguing one in the group and could be the steal of the 2026 NFL draft.

Linebackers: T.J. Edwards, Devin Bush, D'Marco Jackson, Jack Sanborn, Keyshaun Elliott

Edwards and Bush are locks to start at linebacker, and rookie Keyshaun Elliott could prove to be another draft steal, but the rest of the group is difficult to predict, and not for a good reason. The Bears currently have nine linebackers on the roster, and, except for Edwards, Bush, and Elliott, there's not much separation between the players. However, bringing back Jackson and Sanborn in free agency suggests that the coaching staff is high on these two.

Cornerbacks: Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Malik Muhammad, Tyrique Stevenson, Zah Frazier, Terrell Smith

Like the linebacker room, the cornerback group is tough to predict aside from Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon. The CB2 spot is up for grabs, and it feels like any of the other four could claim the role in training camp. However, I think rookie Malik Muhammad, selected by the Bears after a rare trade-up, is the strongest contender of the bunch.

Safeties: Coby Bryant, Dillon Thieneman, Elijah Hicks, Cam Lewis

The Bears have completely remade their safety room this offseason, first by signing Coby Bryant to a $40 million agreement in free agency, then hitting a home run in the 2026 NFL draft by selecting Dillon Thieneman with the No. 25 pick. They're both locks to be the starting safeties this year, while Elijah Hicks, who signed a $2.6 million contract to stay in Chicago, and the versatile veteran Cam Lewis will likely serve as depth.

Special Teams: Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Luke Elkin

No surprises here. The only real competition in this group should be the long snapper position, but Elkin has the inside track on that over undrafted rookie Beau Gardner.

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