Looking Ahead to Depth Chart Release

A look at who will be placed where on the firstt unofficial depth chart when it's released this week by the Bears.

The week of the first preseason game always includes the annual watch for the first depth chart released by the Bears.

In days gone by, they released the depth chart for what it was worth, and everyone accepted it and moved on with competing for positions. For some reason, in recent years it has been labeled the "unofficial" depth chart when released.

Saying this lets the spineless off the hook or avoids hurting the feelings of players who might be overly tender.

If the Bears released the depth chart, how can it be unofficial? 

Who releases the actual official depth chart then, Roger Goodell? Maybe a Power Above? It's not really clear. 

In any case, nothing prevents BearDigest from releasing a projected depth chart. This is officially the projected BearDigest depth chart, tender feelings or otherwise. 

Another popular league hedge is how in recent years they've been listing two or three players with a slash as second or third string. They're competing for the spot and no one has the intestinal fortitude to stand up and say one of these players is actually leading the group at the moment. So they use slashes and list the players alongside each other. 

That's more weak stock. There will be no slashes here. It's who ranks where based on camp analysis.

In actuality, a depth chart is rather worthless after the starters because players will be listed as backups who are actually not the backups at those positions at all. 

For instance, Ja'Tyre Carter might be listed as the backup right guard and Alex Leatherwood the backup left guard. When they line up on the field at training camp, Carter is with the backups at right guard and Leatherwood the backup left guard.  However, if there was an injury to starters at those positions, neither Carter nor Leatherwood would be the players going on the field.  

Both are with the starting lineup at times now because of injuries to Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis, but Leatherwood would not be the first guard to come off the bench in regular season. Backup center Lucas Patrick would actually be the first guard off the bench at either guard because he plays all three spots.

BearDigest Projected Bears Depth Chart

Position	First Team	Second Team	Third Team
Offense
QB	1 Justin Fields	15 P.J. Walker	14 Nathan Peterman
RB	24 Khalil Herbert	21 D'Onta Foreman	30 Roschon Johnson
FB	35 Khari Blasingame	45 Robert Burns
WR	2 DJ Moore	19 Equanimeous St. Brown	80 Joe Reed
WR	11 Darnell Mooney	13 Tyler Scott+	83 Nsimba Webster
WR	10 Chase Claypool	12 Velus Jones Jr.*+	82 Daurice Fountain
TE	85 Cole Kmet	18 Robert Tonyan Jr.	84 Marcedes Lewis
Left Tackle	70 Braxton Jones	78 Kellen Diesch	71 Bobby Haskins
Left Guard	76 Teven Jenkins	60 Dieter Eiselen	63 Josh Lugg
Center	65 Cody Whitehair	62 Lucas Patrick	68 Doug Kramer
Right Guard	64 Nate Davis	69 Ja'Tyre Carter	79 Gabe Houy
Right Tackle	58 Darnell Wright	72 Alex Leatherwood	67 Roy Mbaeteka
Defense
DE	91 Yannick Ngakoue	94 Rasheem Green	99 Trevis Gipson
DT	97 Andrew Billings	67  Bravvion Roy	73 Travis Bell
DT	93 Justin Jones	98 Grevon Dexter Jr.	96 Zacch Pickens
DE	95 DeMarcus Walker	90 Dominique Robinson	52 Terrell Lewis
Weakside LB	53 T.J. Edwards	44 Noah Sewell	50 Buddy Johnson
Middle LB	49 Tremaine Edmunds	55 Dylan Cole	47 Micah Baskerville
Strongside LB	57 Jack Sanborn	43 DeMarquis Gates	46 Kuony Deng
Slot Cornerback	6 Kyler Gordon	39 Josh Blackwell
Left Cornerback	29 Tyrique Stevenson	32 Terell Smith	31 Jaylon Jones
Right Cornerback	33 Jaylon Johnson	22 Kindle Vildor	27 Greg Stroman Jr.
Safety	4 Eddie Jackson	37 Elijah Hicks	38 A.J. Thomas
Safety	9 Jaquan Brisker	36 Kendall Williamson	45 Bralen Trahan
Specialists
Punter	16 Trenton Gill
Kicker	8 Cairo Santos	37 Andre Szmyt
Long Snapper	48 Patrick Scales

3-deep projection. *first team kick returner. +competing for punt returner.

Of Note

• The projection indicates who has played with the first offensive line, second offensive line and third offensive line at training camp, not who would be at each starting or backup spot in case of injuries.

• The backup linebacker situation is a tough call because they have used Noah Sewell and Dylan Cole in both weak and middle with backups, but Sewell has worked with starters at strongside, as well. So it's pretty much a guess where either of those figure to be on a depth chart. Either way, the experience Sewell has been gaining at all positions is invaluable.

• At cornerback, it's possible Kindle Vildor could be listed as second-team left cornerback but lately he has played more at right cornerback because the second-team left cornerback has been whoever isn't with starters between rookies Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith. 

• In actuality, if something happened to Jaylon Johnson at right cornerback the backup left cornerback would be the new starting right cornerback. Both are getting more play with starters than Vildor and can play on either side.

• At tackle, Larry Borom is the swing tackle and plays backup at either left or right tackle just like Patrick plays backup guard on either side ahead of Carter, or backup center. The rest of the linemen are below those two and the five starters.

• This depth chart does not include wide receiver Dante Pettis, their returning punt returner and sixth or seventh receiver. But he is currently not practicing and is on the non-football injury list.

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