Bear Digest

Chicago Bears Position Groups Ranked According to Strength

Analysis: Which position groups are stronger and which are weaker for the Chicago Bears on their 2024 53-man roster and why.

Gene Chamberlain

Where do Bears quarterbacks rank among their team's position groups? It's complicated.
Where do Bears quarterbacks rank among their team's position groups? It's complicated. / Sam Greene/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

After 39 days, the 53-man Bears roster puzzle has been pieced together and looks strongest right where it did back on July 19, when players reported, if not the end of April when the draft ended.

GM Ryan Poles managed to add a few players to bolster depth. The biggest issue they faced at camp's outset was whether they could get quarterback Caleb Williams up to NFL level to run an offense.

Preseason and training camp showed they succeeded—the degree to which becomes apparent on Sept. 8 when a win over the Tennessee Titans would carry actual value.

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The weak Bears positions have been bolstered as best as they could at this point in the game.

Here's a look at Bears position groups from strongest to weakest, after the formation of the 53-man roster.

1. Wide Receivers

DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, DeAndre Carter, Velus Jones Jr

Analysis: Pro Football Focus had put their big three receivers all among the top 29 receivers in the league. There's nothing that's happened in training camp or preseason to reduce this optimism felt about Keenan Allen, DJ Moore and Rome Odunze. It's a perennial Pro Bowl player, one who got snubbed but deserved Pro Bowl last year and one who could very well be in the Pro Bowl for years to come once he gains a little experience. All three can run the routes from all positions. Behind them are players capable of inflicting damage in different ways. Tyler Scott flashes the ability in training camp of taking advantage of a heavy pass coverage emphasis on any of the big three if he's put on the field in a four-wide receiver set. Carter is going to be a catch-and-run guy who returns punts. Jones is the gadget guy, the Deebo Samuel runner in the backfield, a deep threat out of the slot and a kick returner. 

2. Secondary

CB Jaylon Johnson, S Kevin Byard, S Jaquan Brisker, CB Tyrique Stevenson, CB Kyler Gordon, CB Terell Smith, S Elijah Hicks, CB Josh Blackwell, S Jonathan Owens, CB Jaylon Jones

Analysis: A group very close to the wide receivers if not their equal. It's a second-team All-Pro cornerback in Jaylon Johnson and this gives them a head start. Both Tyrique Stevenson and Kyler Gordon are rising, skillful cornerbacks. They have outstanding depth behind those three in Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones and Josh Blackwell. The safeties are deep, though not quite the elite level of cornerbacks. Jaquan Brisker has the same potential as Brisker and Stevenson, but needs to stay healthy to prove it. Kevin Byard has a record of success, showed a knack for finding the ball throughout training camp, and only needs to get over a minor injury issue. The safeties generally seem to possess better ability to be physical in the open field than recent Bears safety groups.

3. Linebackers

T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Jack Sanborn, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Noah Sewell.

Analysis: They might be right on par with the secondary except there is a big drop in athletic ability after the first two, and in experience as well. T.J. Edwards is another player who should have been in a Pro Bowl. Tremaine Edmunds has been in it twice already and now has a better grasp of what's needed in this scheme from a middle linebacker to get back there again. The drop in athleticism to Jack Sanborn on the strong side is steep but he makes up for some of it with physicality and versatility. He could play all three positions. Amen Ogbongbemiga displayed solid athleticism and a nose for the ball in preseason after a slow start coming over from the Chargers. The proven ability ends here, however, as Noah Sewell is about as untested as a second-year player can be.

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4. Running Backs

D'Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer

Analysis: The backfield looks so much stronger with Khalil Herbert as a potential No. 2 behind D'Andrw Swift than if they had traded him and left it to slower Roschon Johnson to be No. 2 alone. The speed-and-power combo represented by Herbert and Johnson gives offensive coordinator Shane Waldron more ways to attack in case of an injury to Swift. Running back is like quarterback. You can anticipate needing the backups to log carries. In fact, depth is far more likely to be tested than with quarterbacks because backs take such a beating. Herbert is the experienced backup with skills like Swift's, although not quite a receiving threat. And Johnson has had just one year with limited carries for experience, although he does provide skills as a pass blocker and receiver. His power running style is different than home run threats Swift and Herbert and could be used well at games' ends. Travis Homer is supposed to be a possible receiving threat but has yet to prove it in Chicago and his actual production has never impressed to starting level even in Seattle. He does have special teams value.

5. Tight Ends

Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis.

Analysis: Cole Kmet and Gerald Everett give the Bears a one-two punch like they haven't had since Kmet's rookie year, when it was Jimmy Graham as the lead tight end. The difference here is both tight ends are still young enough to be impactful and both ideally suited to their roles. Kmet is the in-line tight end and Everett the move tight end. The blocker is Marcedes Lewis, and the Bears have to hope he holds up to it at age 40. There are a few tight end groups better but not by much, and not many teams have all the tight end roles covered so well. The problem here could be depth, with Lewis' age or if something happens to either of the top two tight ends. If they can find a way to bring back one or even two of their other tight ends from preseason on the practice squad, the picture can be complete.

6. Specialists

K Cairo Santos, P Tory Taylor, LS Patrick Scales

Analysis: Cairo Santos is the most accurate field goal kicker in franchise history heading into this season, and Tory Taylor all the rage after doing things with his foot that pro golfers do with wedges. The only weakness in this group is at long snapper. Normally Patrick Scales is solid but he is an injury issue right now after missing a month of training camp. Apparently, their return plan is Velus Jones Jr. as main kick returner and DeAndre Carter as punt returner. Both can be explosive but Jones' past gaffes leave questions and Carter didn't exactly excel in preseason.

7. Offensive Line

T Braxton Jones, G Teven Jenkins, C Coleman Shelton, G Nate Davis, T Darnell Wright, T Kiran Amegadjie, T/G Matt Pryor, G Bill Murray, C Doug Kramer, C/G Ryan Bates.

Analysis: There is so much potential here for production. It's a case where it needs to be proven. The Bears have had the same sort of potential each of the last two years but injuries combined to force 18 changes to the starting lineup in 34 games within those seasons. Even if it's a matter of health, there are other uncertainties. For one, can Coleman Shelton be above average at center as starter. It's uncertain whether the Bears would have intended for him to be the opening day starter but availability is the best ability. His competition, Ryan Bates, wasn't around in August. What happens when Bates returns and has been working for a while is an issue yet to be decided. Their potentially dominant players physically are Teven Jenkins and Darnell Wright. Braxton Jones spent two years proving he can handle the toughest job of protecting the QB's blind side. Probably the bigger questions facing them are center and if Nate Davis is healthy enough to stay at his right guard spot. He hasn't managed to do this yet, but is working on a third straight week of health. The tools are all there and Bates and Matt Pryor supply needed depth.

8. Defensive Line

DE Montez Sweat, DT Andrew Billings, DT Gervon Dexter Jr., DE DeMarcus Walker, DE Darrell Taylor, DT Chris Williams, DE Austin Booker, DE Daniel Hardy, DE Dominique Robinson, DT Zacch Pickens.

Analysis: One man does not a pass rush make. It's four, rushing as one, in Bears philosophy for pass rush. They think they have the defensive linemen to complement their Pro Bowl edge, Montez Sweat. It's very questionable whether they actually do. So much depends on Gervon Dexter taking big steps as a 3-technique to apply the needed interior pressure on QBs and at breaking up running plays with penetration. They don't have to worry about Andrew Billings at nose tackle, but if he is gone for any amount of time then the run defense could become a problem because it hasn't been Dexter's strength and Chris Williams is a 3-technique rather than a nose. Zacch Pickens would be the nose and has fewer NFL reps than Dexter. Piecing together an edge rush rotation has been the greatest challenge for GM Ryan Poles and it's questionable whether he's actually accomplished it. If Darrell Taylor was above so-so as an edge, then the Seahawks would have wanted to keep him. The rest of the edge group is a guess, but Austin Booker does represent tremendous potential.

9. Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent.

Analysis: After all the hype and the draft, the offseason and training, Caleb Williams and Tyson Bagent still rate as the weakest position group on this team. It's not because Williams lacks talent by any means. It's obvious he has an arm and can use it at all angles and for all distances of throws. Playing quarterback in the NFL requires so much more, however. The way Williams moves quarterback up the ladder of team strengths is by relying on those position groups rated ahead of the quarterbacks at the season's outset. Get the receivers the ball; lean on the running game and use it for play-action passes. Get rid of the ball quicker and be more decisive to help out the offensive line. Williams has the ability, but it's the playing experience and knowledge gained from it at this level that he lacks. The depth here with Bagent as backup is probably only about average in the league, or below average considering his own lack of experience. One season in the league—albeit with five games played—is still not much. Many teams have former starters as backups. As Matt Eberflus constantly reminds, it's about time on task and at quarterback, whether it's starter or backup, experience is everything.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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