Following a flurry of cuts, IR moves and resignings last week, the Chicago Bears’ opening day 53-man roster is seemingly set. Some groups look ready to carry the load; others still raise eyebrows. Let’s go position by position and hand out some grades.
Photo: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Quarterbacks: B+
Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent, Case Keenum
The group looks solid, but it all hinges on Caleb proving he’s the guy. Caleb remains one of the most coveted QB prospects in recent memory, and showed flashes of brilliance throughout a chaotic rookie season. Bagent gives the Bears one of the league’s best (and now most expensive) backups, while Keenum provides that steady veteran presence you look for in a younger QB room.
This might be a little bit of a projection, but I’d also bet there are only a handful of teams that wouldn’t trade their QB room for the Bears straight up.
Running Backs: B-
D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Kyle Monangai
These aren’t terrible players, but the group really does lack elite talent or upside. They’re also not doing a great job staying healthy either.
I could have honestly given this group a C-grade and been fine with it, but I do think that Ben Johnson and an improved o-line could raise the floor of this group to being a semi-respectable unit.
Wide Receivers: A-
DJ Moore, Rome Odunze, Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burden III, Devin Duvernay, Jahdae Walker
One of the deepest, most exciting groups on the Bears roster. Moore is a proven Pro Bowler still in his athletic prime, Odunze is a top 10 pick looking to become that true WR1, and Burden may have the highest ceiling of them all. Add Zaccheaus, Duvernay and Walker as depth pieces and the Bears have one of the best WR rooms they’ve had in recent memory.
Tight Ends: B
Cole Kmet, Colston Loveland, Durham Smythe
Pretty exciting group. Cole Kmet gives you a pretty high floor while Loveland offers an absolutely sky-high ceiling.
I thought B was a fair grade for where this group is currently, but I could see this becoming an A before the season is out. Ben Johnson loves to utilize his tight ends, so you’ll be seeing a lot of these two this year.
Offensive Line: B
Braxton Jones, Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson, Darnell Wright, Ozzy Trapilo, Theo Benedet, Luke Newman, Ryan Bates, Kiran Amegadjie
The unsettled LT job brings this grade down, but the rest of the line is in good shape in Chicago. Wright could be the roster’s best player, Thuney remains elite, and Jackson/Dalman both have Pro Bowl upside. Depth pieces are young, cheap, and promising.
Just need someone to step up in the tackle competition…
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Edge Rushers: C–
Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingbo, Dominique Robinson, Daniel Hardy
Won’t sugarcoat it – this unit is bad. And it was only made worse with the news that Austin Booker is headed to IR.
It’s a group that seemingly lacks top-end talent and depth. Never a great way to describe the most important position on the defense.
Bears need Sweat to step up in a big way.
Defensive Tackles: B
Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, Shemar Turner, Chris Williams
This could be a sneaky good unit. Dexter has already developed into a solid NFL player and is looking to leap into the elite category in year 3. The Grady Jarrett signing offers Dexter a playing partner and mentor to help him do just that. Billings is a really underrated part of this defense, and Williams offers some nice rotational upside. Turner can sit and learn in a talent DT room. Plenty to like here, especially compared to the edge group.
Linebackers: B
T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Noah Sewell, Ruben Hyppolite II, D’Marco Jackson
Is it really a Chicago Bears roster without some really good linebacker play?
Edwards is still sharp, Edmunds could thrive in Dennis Allen’s system, and Sewell is apparently really coming into his own this offseason. Hyppolite has flashed in camp and gives the group good depth and versatility.
Cornerbacks: B-
Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Nahshon Wright, Josh Blackwell, Nick McCloud, Jaylon Jones
This unit looked like a strength after the draft, but injuries have gutted the depth chart. Just one more injury to any of the intended starters could really start to sink the ship here.
Having said that, Jaylon Johnson and Kyler Gordon are two of the better players at their positions in the league. If the rest of the group can stay healthy, this should be an above-average unit at worst.
Safeties: B
Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Elijah Hicks, Jonathan Owens
Training camp hype has been kind to this group. Both Byard and Brisker have been getting some good buzz, and look to carry that over into the regular season.
Hicks and Owens are both solid backups that could start in a pinch.
Special Teams: A
Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Scott Daly
A legitimate bright spot in Chicago. Santos is reliable as ever and seems to have added some length to his game as well. Taylor was one of the NFL’s best punters as a rookie. Consistency/stability at specials is an underrated luxury for NFL rosters.
Overall roster grade: B
Position GroupGradeQuarterbacksB+Running BacksB-Wide ReceiversA-Tight EndsBOffensive LineB+Edge RushersC-Defensive TacklesBLinebackersBCornerbacksB-SafetiesBSpecial TeamsAOverallB
Overall, this is an above-average roster for the Chicago Bears. Bears have a handful of talented upside players, but there is a lack of real blue-chip talent on the roster at the moment. Some of their better units (LBs, S, TEs) are at less premium positions too, whereas the premium positions like edge and LT have more questions than answers. Still, I think good coaching can probably take this group to a wild-card spot in 2025.
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