On Saturday night, Chicago Bears head coach Ben Johnson said, “There is no depth chart right now.”
He wants to instill an environment of competition. He doesn’t want anyone to feel comfortable. It can be shrugged off as coachspeak, but it’s also part of Johnson’s philosophy, and something that seemed to be lacking last year.
While Johnson doesn’t have a depth chart (at least, metaphorically), we can create a projected one with the addition of eight draft picks. This draft class is unique. Luther Burden III is a starter at wide receiver — in 11 personnel. Colston Loveland is a starter at tight end — once he’s healthy, and possibly only in 12 personnel to begin his career. Ozzy Trapilo and Shemar Turner won’t begin as starters either, despite being second-round picks.
“I think all we did this weekend is we might’ve just turned up the notch a couple of dials for certain people in the building,” Johnson said. “That’s a good thing. That’s a healthy thing. That’s where you bring out the best not only in your team, but in each individual.”
That’s a good sign for the roster, and it helps Johnson create a competitive spring. Here’s our post-draft projected depth chart. (* — rookie)
Quarterback
Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum, Austin Reed
Fishbain: Is this the deepest Bears quarterbacks room that didn’t involve an upcoming position battle? With Williams entrenched as the starter, an undrafted backup in Bagent who has proved himself, an established veteran in Keenum, and even someone like Reed who can keep developing on the practice squad, it’s a pretty nice setup for Johnson. If there’s any question that will come up this summer, it’s if a team suffers a quarterback injury, would they call Ryan Poles about Bagent?
Jahns: Maybe. He’s a good quarterback. The Bears believe that. Bagent is still their No. 2. The competition here is Williams vs. himself. He’ll be learning a new offense under Johnson and he has new weapons to connect with in Loveland and Burden. It’s possible that success isn’t instantaneous. That’s OK. But everyone — including Williams himself — expects him to play better in Year 2.
Running back
D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer, Kyle Monangai*, Ian Wheeler
Fishbain: Ashton Jeanty, TreVeyon Henderson or Cam Skattebo may have made this a much different-looking depth chart, but the Bears didn’t take a running back until Round 7. Having watched Monangai in college, I’m bullish on Poles getting value with that pick. Monangai has a lot of important running back traits and was very productive. He should be able to compete with Johnson and Homer and find his way onto special teams. We’ll see if Poles wants to go find a starter-caliber free agent or if the Bears will roll with Swift.
Jahns: It wouldn’t be surprising if the Bears added another back to their group. It would fit with everything that Poles and Johnson have said about increasing competition in the name of increasing victories. Monangai’s final-round selection appears to be the result of the depth of his position as other teams filled needs on Day 3. He’s a solid back. My favorite thing about his tape might be his pass-blocking.
Wide receiver
DJ Moore, Devin Duvernay, Samori Toure
Rome Odunze, Miles Boykin, John Jackson
Luther Burden III*, Olamide Zaccheaus, Tyler Scott, Maurice Alexander
Fishbain: I liked the Zaccheaus signing — still do — but there was room to upgrade at the No. 3 receiver spot, especially for the long term. Burden’s skill set is so dynamic that you can understand why Johnson would want him in this offense with Moore and Odunze. Getting someone for Williams who can catch a quick slant and take off is going to be impactful. If Duvernay wins the return job, he’ll make the team, leaving the competition open for the No. 6 spot, where Scott, the 2023 fourth-rounder, will be the favorite.
Jahns: So, let me get this right: the Bears’ best receivers are the No. 24 pick from the 2018 draft, the No. 9 pick from last year and the 39th pick from this year. How crazy is that? These aren’t your grandfather’s Bears. Burden was a luxury pick. They didn’t “need” him. But you don’t pass on elite playmakers, especially when they stand out on your draft board as Burden did. In an ideal world, he will be the Amon-Ra St. Brown option in Johnson’s offense. Receiver is also a position that changes often. Stars get traded and injuries happen. The Bears are now better prepared for everything.
Tight end
Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland*, Durham Smythe, Stephen Carlson, Joel Wilson, Jordan Murray
Fishbain: The Bears could have one of the better 1-2 punches at tight end in football, and Smythe is exactly what a team needs from the No. 3 spot. Now we’ll spend the next few months trying to figure out how Johnson will make it work with Loveland and Kmet. Will we truly see a ton of 12 personnel? Can they both be as productive as their talent (and contracts) dictate? Either way, after years of struggling to find Kmet a complement, the Bears have drastically upgraded the top of this position.
Jahns: Picture this: Loveland, Kmet, Moore and Odunze take the field along with Swift. Seeing the 12 personnel, an opposing defensive coordinator sends out his base defense, which includes three linebackers. At first, the Bears line up with Kmet in the backfield as a fullback and Loveland in line at tight end. But then Johnson (through Williams) shifts them before the play. Now, Loveland is in the slot against a smaller safety, while Kmet is in a three-point stance and in line, but he’s now covered by a smaller, slower linebacker. This is what Johnson wants. There will be mismatches to capitalize on.
Offensive line
LT: Braxton Jones, Kiran Amegadjie
LG: Joe Thuney, Ryan Bates, Chris Glaser, Theo Benedet
C: Drew Dalman, Doug Kramer, Luke Newman*, Ricky Stromberg
RG: Jonah Jackson, Bill Murray, Jordan McFadden
RT: Darnell Wright, Ozzy Trapilo*, Joshua Miles
Fishbain: The tackle situation will be prominent over the next few months. Jones won’t be out there this spring — will Amegadjie line up at left tackle for the first day of OTAs? Will the Bears start working in Wright on the left side, or do they need to see Trapilo in person first? How confident will they be in Jones’ recovery? Trapilo could force their hand if he does what Jones did three years ago, which is come into OTAs and minicamp and perform at a high level as a rookie.
Jahns: If Trapilo performs at a high level as a rookie in camp, he will be a starter in Week 1. Second-round picks are expected to become solid starters. He played left tackle at Boston College before becoming an All-ACC player on the right side. Wright’s experience at left tackle for Tennessee is also worth highlighting. He was an All-SEC right tackle in his final year, but his junior season was spent on the left side. The mixing and matching will be tracked in camp, but one possible outcome is Wright on the left side and Trapilo on the right.
Defensive line
DE: Montez Sweat, Austin Booker
DT: Grady Jarrett, Andrew Billings, Chris Williams
DT: Gervon Dexter, Shemar Turner*, Zacch Pickens, Jonathan Ford
DE: Dayo Odeyingbo, Dominique Robinson, Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah
Fishbain: Barring free-agent additions at defensive end, which can still happen, the depth chart is noticeably thin after Sweat and Odeyingbo. Does that lead Dennis Allen to have Turner begin his career at end, with the ability to slide inside on passing downs? How Booker looks this spring could be a big indicator of their plans. The interior is deep, giving Allen the flexibility to rotate, which he likely wants on the edge as well.
Jahns: The arrivals of Jarrett and Turner not only improve the depth and talent of the Bears’ defensive front; they change its attitude. The Bears’ offseason moves strongly indicate that they wanted that. Allen does have options. Odeyingbo can slide inside, while Turner can move outside. Maybe Dexter can provide the same versatility. Allen’s scheme may suit him better.
Linebacker
WLB: Tremaine Edmunds, Carl Jones
MLB: T.J. Edwards, Amen Ogbongbemiga
SLB: Ruben Hyppolite II*, Noah Sewell, Swayze Bozeman
Fishbain: If the Bears had to be in their base defense tomorrow, it’d likely be Hyppolite as the starting strongside linebacker. While Hyppolite didn’t catch the eye of draft experts, our Dane Brugler noted that his ranking would’ve been different when factoring in the pro day. That’s what really stood out to the Bears. Allen wants speed on his defense. We’ll see how much Hyppolite’s speed can make up for his lack of height, but this is also a position that won’t be on the field much. Depth is a question mark here.
Jahns: Speaking of the base defense, I wonder if Edwards is better off in the middle for Allen, while Edmunds moves to the weakside because of his speed. Hyppolite also becomes a faster version of Jack Sanborn on the roster. Sanborn’s instincts made him an NFL player. But, as you said, Fish, speed was something that the Bears sought for this position group. “(Hyppolite) can fly,” Poles said. “We like the combination of speed and the intelligence.” Fast linebackers always have a place on special teams, too.
Cornerback
CB: Jaylon Johnson, Zah Frazier*, Nick McCloud, Shaun Wade, Ameer Speed
CB: Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith, Nahshon Wright
NCB: Kyler Gordon, Josh Blackwell
Fishbain: The fifth-round selection of Frazier added to an already deep group, and his length, speed and ball skills should get him a chance to be a top backup on the outside. The late-March signing of McCloud helped bolster special teams, where Frazier figures to get some work as a rookie. Are we going to see another summer of a Smith vs. Stevenson battle for a starting job? It’s overly optimistic to expect Frazier to be in that conversation, but if they hit on that pick, it would be a fun summer competition.
Jahns: If I had to rank players who had the most to lose in camp, Stevenson would top my list after everything that transpired last season. It will be interesting if Frazier can inject himself into the Stevenson/Smith competition. He already has the backing of defensive backs coach Al Harris, who texted Poles in February about Frazier and put him on the Bears’ radar. “Zah is a long corner, ran a 4.3, showed ability to take the ball away,” director of player personnel Trey Koziol said. “Anytime you can get bigger, longer, faster on the defensive side of the ball, it’s a win.”
.@ZFrazier19‘s an INT machine 😤 pic.twitter.com/tfqbHQHQTq
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) April 26, 2025
Safety
Kevin Byard, Jonathan Owens, Alex Cook
Jaquan Brisker, Elijah Hicks, Tarvarius Moore
Fishbain: One of the bigger draft surprises was that the Bears didn’t add anyone here. Again, it doesn’t mean they’re done. They could still add a veteran. One of the reported undrafted rookie signings, Major Burns, was Brugler’s 34th-ranked safety. This would show confidence in Brisker, and the Bears do have solid insurance options in Owens and Hicks, but 2026 remains a mystery at safety.
Jahns: Burns is definitely one of the Bears’ more notable UDFA signings. He started his college career at Georgia before playing at LSU. So he has faced good competition. He had 47 tackles, 4 1/2 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups last year for LSU. His experience could help him secure a roster spot because this position does feel in flux. Byard has one year left on his deal, while Brisker has to prove he can stay healthy.
Special teams
K Cairo Santos
P Tory Taylor
LS Scott Daly
KR Devin Duvernay
PR Duvernay, Luther Burden III*, Josh Blackwell
Fishbain: Usually a second kicker can be a literal camp body, someone to take some kicks off the veteran’s plate and can be on a team’s emergency call list. But Michigan State’s Jonathan Kim, a reported undrafted rookie addition, could also compete with Santos. It’s not easy to kick at Soldier Field, and Santos has generally been outstanding, but we’ll see if this turns into a competition.
Jahns: I wouldn’t go that far. Santos is still signed through 2027. I know last year had its problems, but he’s still reliable. He finished the season on a high note in Green Bay, too. Taylor’s development is worth tracking in Year 2. But the competition at punt returner with Burden entering the mix will be the most fun to watch.
(Photo: Mark Hoffman / Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA Today Network via Imagn Images)