The Bears look much more like a playoff team than one that only won five games last season on paper. That is mostly due to roster improvements this offseason, but last year’s pitiful coaching staff also did some heavy lifting in that regard.
With the amount of talent at his disposal, Ben Johnson could be a Coach of the Year candidate if he is half as good of a head coach as he was as an offensive coordinator. The schedule won’t make life easy on the Bears (they have the second-most difficult schedule), but they should be competitive in every game.
While they added an infusion of talent, it’s safe to say some positions are much better off than others. What are their strongest positions? Where are their most glaring remaining weaknesses? I think I’ve got a strong opinion on those questions.
10. Running Backs
Many expected the Bears to address the running back position well before the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft. In fact, Chicago was projected to be the most likely landing spot for Ashton Jeanty throughout much of the pre-draft process. However, the board never seemed to fall their way, as talented backs were taken off the board right before they were on the clock over the first four rounds.
While they eventually landed a talented player in Kyle Monongai with the 233rd pick, he is ultimately just as likely to land on the practice squad as he is to carve out a valuable role on offense. He probably would’ve been selected sooner in a less loaded RB class, but the fact remains.
Meanwhile, D’Andre Swift is a solid starter with clear limitations. He requires clear running lanes to thrive, as his vision is sub-par at best. On the bright side, the Bears should be in a much better position to provide that this year. Roschon Johnson hasn’t made much of an impact through his first two years, but he hasn’t received many opportunities outside of short-yardage work. He could be poised to fill the Jamaal Williams role for Ben Johnson’s offense if they don’t add to the room.
9. Linebackers
The linebacker position is teetering on the edge for the Bears. Other than his age and potential diminishing athleticism, I don’t have any questions about TJ Edwards. He is an excellent player well worth the two-year, $20 million contract extension the team signed him to this offseason.
I do, however, have questions about Tremaine Edmunds. He has struggled to live up to the massive contract the Bears signed him to two years ago. He’s basically the D’Andre Swift of linebackers; A good starter with clear limitations. He makes two or three good-to-great plays a game and then largely disappears. Not the type of guy who deserves $17 million annually, which he will make in both ’25 and ’26. While he is obviously locked in for this season, the Bears can save $15 million next year if they get him off the books. He will have to live up to the deal if he wants to stick around.
Fourth-round selection Ruben Hyppolite II (who conjured a collective ‘WHO?’ upon being selected) is the favorite to grab the third linebacker spot. He’s very fast, and was a defensive captain at Maryland. Nonetheless, he’s a complete question mark. The Bears also have nothing but question marks if one of the other two ‘backers were to go down, which is largely why they find themselves as second-to-last on this list.
8. Special Teams
Some would probably rank the Bears’ special teams (even) closer to the bottom of this list, but those are the same people who wanted to prioritize adding a new kicker this offseason. You’d think Cairo Santos missed the game-winner against Green Bay rather than nailed it considering how much of the fanbase has talked about him this offseason.
I understand the desire for a kicker who can nail a 60-yarder, which is about five yards outside Santos’ range. However, the fact of the matter is that there are only a few guys in the league who can do that consistently. Give me the guy who never misses inside the range he is comfortable with. That doesn’t scream someone who needs to be replaced to me.
The Bears received a lot of flak for taking punter Tory Taylor in the fourth round last year. The move still looks questionable in hindsight (it’s never going to look good coming off a 5-win season, regardless of the circumstances). He was middle of the pack in terms of net and gross average yards per punt, but he was pretty solid at downing opponents inside their own 20. It’s going to take some time to make an accurate assessment about this one.
7. Defensive Line
First off, I feel the need to mention that I believe the Bears’ defensive line should be greatly improved this season. It’s a rock-solid unit (especially on the interior). Their position here is a testament to just how complete the roster is.
The Bears have great depth and talent at defensive tackle. Andrew Billings, Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., and Shemar Turner make up a formidable, versatile, and extremely talented unit. They should be able to sustain a relatively high level of play even if the injury bug bites.
Montez Sweat should be much more impactful than he was last year if he can stay healthy. However, if I had a question about the unit, it would be regarding the player on the other edge. They clearly have high hopes for Dayo Odeyingbo, considering the contract they signed him to (3-year, $48 million) this off-season, but I am not sure the production justified the price tag. He is by far the biggest question mark on the defensive line, and his presence could allow the unit to skyrocket up this list if things go well.
6. Safeties
The Bears have two quality starting safeties, Jaquan Brisker and Kevin Byard. While some wanted the front office to prioritize the position in the offseason, that had more to do with the fact that neither player is under contract after this season than the quality of their starting guys.
Brisker’s health also played a role in those discussions, as he suffered a scary concussion last season that kept him out of the final 11 games. He is one of the best young strong safeties in the league when healthy, though. Byard may be a step slower than he was in his prime, but he is still an instinctual playmaker. He also provides valuable veteran leadership to a young secondary.
While Jonathan Owens made some plays last year in Brisker’s absence, the depth on the back end leaves an awful lot to be desired. Owens and Elijah Hicks are good enough to give one of the other guys a rest, but they can’t count on him to sustain starting-caliber play over an extended period.
5. Offensive Line
The Bears’ o-line has a strong case for being the most improved unit (regardless of position) across the entire league. Likewise, they also have the potential to field the best starting five in the NFL.
They added three new starters to the interior in Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. The former two players are among the best at their respective positions, and the latter one was a Pro Bowler under Ben Johnson in Detroit. Their starting three in Week One of last year were Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, and Nate Davis. One of those players can’t stay healthy, another is a turnstile in pass protection, and the third is on the fast track to being out of the league. Enough said.
On the outside, Darnell Wright has shown flashes of being one of the best young right tackles in the league. He just has to be more consistent, and that should be easier to do with a better group around him. Second-round selection Ozzy Trapilo is the wild card of the group, as the team clearly believes he can be their left tackle of the future. However, they might not even need him to start immediately if Braxton Jones is ready to go by Week One.
4. Quarterbacks
I don’t subscribe to the notion that Caleb Williams had a bad rookie season. In fact, I think that stance, which is built on the foundation that Jayden Daniels had a better season, is really really stupid. He threw 20 TDs, only six interceptions, and set a rookie record for most consecutive attempts without an interception.
Williams might not be a miracle worker, but the fact that he achieved as much as he did, considering the lack of coaching around him, is somewhat astonishing in and of itself. He isn’t the sole reason for their spot on these rankings, as Tyson Bagent and Case Keenum round out a solid depth chart. Bagent is someone who I could see getting a real shot to start somewhere else down the line. He always plays well whenever he gets a chance to do so. Meanwhile, this could be the last stop of Keenum’s career, and he should provide great mentorship for both young QBs. Bringing him in was a really underrated move this offseason.
When it comes to the level of importance, the QB position is paramount. No one is more vital to the Bears’ success than Williams. However, for this list, I couldn’t put ’em above some of Chicago’s more stacked units.
3. Cornerbacks
The Bears have one of the best cornerback rooms in the entire league. Jaylon Johnson is not only one of the most underrated cover men in the league, but he is also one of the best. Likewise, Kyler Gordon is also one of the league’s premier slot corners. Unsurprisingly, he is also incredibly underrated for all that he brings to the defense.
Tyrique Stevenson is the wild card of the group, as he could be the final piece of a truly lockdown secondary if he can stay out of his own way. He was a bright spot on the defensive side of the ball during an impressive rookie season, and new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is a quality candidate to get the most out of the former second-round selection.
Terell Smith also provides quality depth behind the big three. In fact, there wouldn’t be a huge drop-off if one of the starters were to go down. Fifth-round selection Zah Frazier is an athletic specimen in his own right. Barring a disaster, they won’t need him on the defensive side of the ball this year. With that said, he is a great developmental project who could pay off in a big way down the line.
2. Tight Ends
Some might be surprised to see the tight end group being so high here. Those are probably the same people who think Cole Kmet should be traded before the season begins. The same people who were pining for him to be replaced over the past three years.
I’ve never understood the Kmet hate. People treat him like a Kyle Pitts-level disappointment even though he was a second-round pick who fully lived up to expectations. He is a rock-solid starting-quality tight end, and he has been since his second year in the league. Was it his fault he got phased out of the offense last year? I don’t think so. Still, the lack of usage didn’t prevent him from catching 47 of his 55 targets.
The Bears selected Colston Loveland with the tenth pick because his ceiling is that of a top-level tight end, but it would be naive to expect that type of production from him in year one. TEs historically take some time to make the transition to the league. However, I am bullish on the pairing (Loveland complements Kmet much better than Penn State standout Tyler Warren would have), and I think they should be one of the league’s most potent TE duos. Durham Smythe is also as good of a third tight end as you will find for good measure.
1. Wide Receivers
I can’t say enough about how much the Bears have improved the receiver room over the past two offseasons. It has undeniably become one of the most talented groups in the league.
DJ Moore might be coming off a disappointing season, but he is still one of the NFL’s most dynamic playmakers. He isn’t an alpha number one pass-catcher, but he belongs in the next group of receivers. As crazy as it sounds, Rome Odunze has a real chance to be even better. I think he will take a huge jump with Ben Johnson calling the shots this year.
Second-round selection Luther Burden III is a versatile weapon that many didn’t think would make it out of the first round throughout much of the pre-draft process. Olamide Zaccheaus is a reliable Swiss army knife. Devin Duvernay is one of the best return specialists in the game. Just unreal depth from top to bottom, and they’ll all have a defined role.
If you enjoyed this article please follow us here on MSN! Thank you for reading and have a great day!
