Heading into the 2024 NFL season, the Chicago Bears‘ expectations are higher than they’ve been in years. The Bears have been building their roster for the past few years, and following the 2024 NFL Draft, it appears that Chicago is entering the competitive phase.
We’re still about a month out from the start of the Bears’ regular season, as general manager Ryan Poles and his staff look to trim this roster into a perfect 53-man battalion.
Chicago Bears 53-Man Roster Projection
Quarterback (3)
Starter: Caleb Williams
Backups: Tyson Bagent, Brett Rypien
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus has made it clear that Williams is the starter for Chicago, but — as is true for any player at any position — injuries are always a possibility.
Rypien had a very strong performance in the Hall of Fame Game; he and Bagent will likely battle for the backup spot.
Running Back (4)
Starter: D’Andre Swift (HB), Khari Blasingame (FB)
Backups: Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson
Chicago added Swift over the offseason after one year with the Philadelphia Eagles. He will be the Bears’ primary back this season.
Chicago is one of the few teams to utilize a true fullback in Blasingame, and with Shane Waldron joining the fray as the new offensive coordinator, he should see significant snaps.
Herbert and Johnson add to the offense, but with Herbert struggling as a pass protector and Johnson being more of a power-first back, the two round out this backfield nicely.
Wide Receiver (7)
Starters: DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze
Backups: Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., Collin Johnson, DeAndre Carter
Chicago’s starting receivers make up one of the strongest groups in the league. Moore and Allen enter this season after career-best years, giving the rookie Williams a much easier transition into the pros. Drafted eight picks after his new QB, Odunze joins a stacked group of wideouts to begin his career as one of the top receiving prospects in the 2024 class.
Scott and Jones are likely to see more gadget plays, given their smaller size but exceptional speed. The final spot will likely come down between Johnson and Dante Pettis, but after Johnson’s exceptional Hall of Fame Game performance, the Bears’ front office will likely want to keep him around.
Tight End (3)
Starter: Cole Kmet
Backups: Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis
Kmet recently signed a four-year deal worth $50 million, and he is comfortably in control of the starting tight end job. He ended last season with 700+ receiving yards and six touchdowns. Expectations for Kmet should rise this season with Waldron’s focus on tight ends and Williams’ abilities as a passer.
The Bears picked up Everett while bringing back Lewis, as Chicago has a strong group across the board in the TE room.
Offensive Line (11)
Starter: Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, Darnell Wright
Backups: Larry Borom, Ja’Tyre Carter, Nate Davis, Doug Kramer Jr., Kiran Amegadjie, Jake Curhan
The Bears’ offensive line is one of the areas of concern heading into this season, and after Eberflus’ comments about players missing time, it appears that Davis could be stepping down from the starting guard position and taking more of a backup role.
The two bookends, Jones and Wright, are two of the stronger parts of this line. However, the question marks flow in the interior.
Jenkins’ health makes him worrisome, while the lack of star power at center and the other guard position make this group one of the most important for Chicago to address heading into the season.
Defensive Tackle (4)
Starters: Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings
Backups: Zacch Pickens, Byron Cowart
One of the strongest candidates for a breakout season this year on the Bears is Dexter, who’s going into his second year. His rookie season was a bit lackluster to begin, but once the Bears added Montez Sweat to their defense, the unit saw a noticeable change.
Billings’ 6-foot-1, 311-pound frame makes him a gamewrecker up front, and if Dexter breaks out the way many expect, everyone should see an increase in productivity up front.
Pickens and Cowart put a bow on the defensive line group. Both players need to refine their game until they see significant playing time. As rotational pieces, however, these two will get the job done.
EDGE (4)
Starters: Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker
Backups: Dominique Robinson, Austin Booker
Aside from Sweat, this is an area of Chicago’s defense that coaches would love to come out of the gates stronger than it did before Sweat joined the team. Walker was serviceable last season, but with the team spending draft capital on the rookie Booker, it’s safe to say that this group could see some movement prior to roster cuts.
Booker, a fifth-round defensive end out of Kansas, has had a strong camp and could see himself as a starter before the season ends. He and Robinson enter the year looking to become more than rotational pieces.
Linebacker (5)
Starters: T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn
Backups: Noah Sewell, Amen Ogbongbemiga
The starters in the Bears’ linebacking group are rather cemented into their spots; there’s little chance that they get beat out for their position. Edwards and Sanborn have been two unlikely heroes of this defense.
Edwards ended last season as one of the top linebackers in the league with over 150 tackles and three interceptions.
Sewell and Ogbongbemiga will be more rotational players, seeing the field much less frequently on first-through-third down than fourth. The brother of Penei Sewell, Noah is an athletic freak and a strong special teams player, which is always a plus in a football coach’s mind.
Cornerback (6)
Starters: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon
Backups: Jaylon Jones, Terell Smith, Greg Stroman Jr.
One of the top cornerbacks in the league, Johnson enters this season on a brand new contract, looking to get the respect he’s earned as one of the NFL’s elite players at the position.
Alongside Johnson, Stevenson ended his rookie season last year with four interceptions in five games. Gordon mans the nickel corner spot, as he aims to continue making strides from last year’s strong campaign.
The Bears also have really strong backups, with Jones, Smith, and Stroman all making contributions last year when they needed to step in.
Safety (3)
Starters: Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker
Backups: Elijah Hicks
Following Eddie Jackson’s departure, the Bears signed Byard to fill the hole he left. Brisker, while fighting the injury bug last year, was really strong as the team’s box safety when he was on the field.
This could be a battle between Hicks and Jonathan Owens, but with Hicks stepping in last season for both Jackson and Brisker, the team likely sticks with the guy who has experience.
Specialist (3)
Kicker: Cairo Santos
Punter: Tory Taylor
Long Snapper: Patrick Scales
While the rookie punter Taylor joins the team this year, there seems to be no easier roster spot to mock up than the long snapper position. Scales is entering his ninth season as the team’s long snapper.