The Chicago Bears released their first unofficial depth chart ahead of their preseason opener against the Tennessee Titans.
When looking at Chicago’s first unofficial depth chart, there are some things that aren’t much of a surprise — Justin Fields listed as the starting quarterback, Khalil Herbert and D’Onta Foreman leading the way at running back and the top trio of wideouts in DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. But there are also plenty of surprises, including some former veteran starters.
Here’s what we learned from the Bears’ first unofficial depth chart:
1
Trevis Gipson and Kindle Vildor could be in trouble
The biggest surprise from the first unofficial depth chart is that veterans — and former starters — defensive end Trevis Gipson and cornerback Kindle Vildor are way down the depth chart. In fact, they’re buried at the bottom. Gipson is listed behind Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, Rasheem Green, Terrell Lewis and D’Anthony Jones. The team will likely carry eight defensive linemen total, and four could come from this group. Meanwhile, Vildor finds himself behind Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson, Terell Smith, Greg Stroman, Josh Blackwell, Jaylon Jones, Michael Ojemudia and Macon Clark. The team is likely to carry six cornerbacks, leaving Vildor far down the list. Gipson and Vildor are now fighting for a roster spot, where they’ll need strong preseason performances to help boost their stock and pass up some younger players who have been impressing this summer.
2
Terrell Lewis has a shot to make the roster
Terrell Lewis has been making a name for himself throughout the offseason, and his name has frequented daily training camp recaps. Once considered a long shot to make the team, Lewis finds himself in a prime position to earn a spot on the 53-man roster. Lewis is currently listed as the fifth defensive end on the first unofficial depth chart behind the likes of DeMarcus Walker, Yannick Ngakoue, Dominique Robinson and Rasheem Green. The team could carry eight to nine defensive linemen, and Lewis is going to need to continue to prove why he’s worthy of a roster spot heading into preseason.
3
Final WR spot should come down to Velus Jones and Dante Pettis
There are no surprises with the top three wide receivers on the depth chart, with DJ Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool. Velus Jones Jr. is slotted in that fourth spot, ahead of Equanimeous St. Brown and rookie Tyler Scott, with Dante Pettis at the seventh spot. Jones landing in that fourth spot speaks volumes about how the team has viewed him up this point in training camp. Meanwhile, Pettis hasn’t practiced since training camp started. Jones has had an up-and-down camp so far, and he was always going to be a roster bubble player. It’s felt for awhile that one of those final receiver spots would come down to Pettis and Jones, as both bring special teams value as a return specialist. Jones certainly has the upper hand as he’s been on the field through the first two weeks of practice, and is slotted at fourth. Meanwhile, Pettis remains sidelined on the non-football injury (NFI) list. This is certainly a battle worth monitoring heading into the preseason.
4
Jones listed as primary kick, punt returner
It certainly feels like Jones has an advantage when it comes to landing a roster spot. The Bears have preached the importance of special teams when it comes to landing those final roster spots, and that’s always been Jones’ best bet to secure a spot. Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff have praised Jones for his improvement returning punts, where he notably struggled as a rookie. So it’s encouraging to see Jones listed as both the first-team kickoff and punt returner on the unofficial depth chart. If Jones is going to beat out Pettis, it’ll be because of his special teams value.
5
Greg Stroman making push for roster spot
Outside of the top four cornerbacks — Jaylon Johnson, Kyler Gordon, Tyrique Stevenson and Terell Smith — there’s plenty of intrigue when looking at the unofficial depth chart. Not only is Kindle Vildor buried in last, but Greg Stroman Jr. has positioned himself to earn one of those presumed six cornerback spots. Stroman is listed in that fifth spot ahead of Josh Blackwell, who’s expected to make the roster given his nickel contributions. Stroman has also beat out others like Jaylon Jones, who started four games for Chicago last year. If Stroman puts together a strong preseason, he could very well secure a spot on the 53-man roster.
6
Kendall Williamson has a lot to prove for roster spot
When looking at this rookie draft class, it certainly appears that most of them will make the roster. But it’s Kendall Williamson, drafted one spot before Mr. Irrelevant, who could be the odd man out. Williamson was listed as sixth on the safety depth chart behind Eddie Jackson and Jaquan Brisker, as well as reserves Elijah Hicks, A.J. Thomas and Adrian Colbert. That’s not to say Williamson doesn’t have a chance to make the roster. But considering we haven’t heard much about him during training camp, he’s going to need an impressive preseason to put himself in a position to earn a roster spot.
7
Tight end all but set
We’ve known for awhile that Cole Kmet and Robert Tonyan would enter the season as the Bears’ top two tight ends. But there were questions about that third spot, where Stephen Carlson, Jake Tonges and Jared Pinkney were battling. That question has essentially been answered with the addition of Marcedes Lewis, who signed a one-year deal with the team last week. Despite not practicing yet, Lewis is already listed at that third tight end spot behind Kmet and Tonyan, a clear indication he’s going to make the team given his veteran experience and understanding of the offense. Chicago is expected to carry three tight ends on the roster.
8
Too early to overreact to depth chart
With everything in mind, it’s too soon to overreact to this first unofficial depth chart. It’s unofficial for a reason, and we have three entire preseason games to help sort things out. That’s not to say there are notable storylines to monitor over these next three weeks, including whether we’ve seen the last of Trevis Gipson and Kindle Vildor. But with three games to be played, there’s plenty that can change between now and late August.
