The Chicago Bears First Depth Chart is OUT (And There Are Surprises!)

Aug 10, 2022

The Chicago Bears dropped their first unofficial depth chart of the Matt Eberflus era on Tuesday night. And with the Bears set to open the preseason against the Chiefs on Saturday, we’ve got a few days to dissect the state of this team’s roster as we move toward the start of the regular season.

Starters are in bold.

OFFENSE

QB Justin Fields

2nd: Trevor Siemian

3rd: Nathan Peterman

RB David Montgomery

2nd: Khalil Herbert

3rd: Trestan Ebner

Other: Darrynton Evans, De’Montre Tuggle

FB Khari Blasingame

2nd: Jake Tonges

WR Darnell Mooney

2nd: Velus Jones Jr.

3rd: Dante Pettis

Other: Tajae Sharpe, Nsimba Webster, Dazz Newsome, Kevin Shaa

WR Equanimeous St. Brown

2nd: Byron Pringle

3rd: N’Keal Harry

Other: Isaiah Coulter, Chris Finke, David Moore

TE Cole Kmet

2nd: Ryan Griffin

3rd: James O’Shaughnessy

Other: Chase Allen, Rysen John

LT Braxton Jones

2nd: Larry Borom

3rd: Julién Davenport

LG Cody Whitehair

2nd: Lachavious Simmons

3rd: Zachary Thomas

C Lucas Patrick

2nd: Sam Mustipher

3rd: Doug Kramer

RG Michael Schofield

2nd: Ja’Tyre Carter

3rd: Dieter Eiselen

RT Riley Reiff

2nd: Teven Jenkins

3rd: Shone Coleman

Other: Jean Delance

We have been wanting change along the offensive line, and we’re certainly getting it to start 2022. Four new starters, including three with significant starting experience at previous tops. A rookie left tackle who was a sixth-round pick isn’t what any of us were expecting when this offseason opened its doors, but I’m open to Jones playing his way to a starting role. That would be an early win for this new front office’s drafting prowess. So, while this isn’t the starting lineup that ESPN projects would be one of the league’s top lines, but the influx of fresh faces is refreshing.

I had a funny feeling that Equanimeous St. Brown was doing enough to crash into the starting lineup. It’s early, but his placement at the top of the depth chart where he’ll start alongside Darnell Mooney could launch a breakthrough season for the former Packers receiver.

Don’t let Velus Jones Jr.’s status as WR2 behind Mooney throw you for a loop. Jones has been working plenty with the 1’s this summer. If the Bears were to line up in a three-receiver set on their first play from scrimmage, Jones would be the starter along with Mooney and ESB.

DEFENSE

DE Robert Quinn

2nd: Al-Quadin Muhammad

3rd: Dominique Robinson

Other: Sam Kamara

DT Justin Jones

2nd: Khyiris Tonga

3rd: Mike Pennel Jr.

DT Angelo Blackson

2nd: Micah Dew-Treadway

3rd: LaCale London

Other: Trevon Coley

DE Trevis Gipson

2nd: Mario Edwards Jr.

3rd: Carson Taylor

Other: Charles Snowden

LB Nicholas Morrow

2nd: Jack Sanborn

3rd: DeMarquis Gates

LB Roquan Smith

2nd: Matt Adams

3rd: Caleb Johnson

LB Joe Thomas

2nd: Noah Dawkins

3rd: Javin White

CB Jaylon Johnson

2nd: Tavon Young

3rd: Duke Shelley

Other: Greg Stroman Jr., Thomas Graham Jr., Jaylon Jones

CB Kyler Gordon

2nd: Kindle Vildor

3rd: Lamar Jackson

Other: Jayson Stanley, BoPete Keyes

S Eddie Jackson

2nd: DeAndre Houston-Carson

3rd: Elijah Hicks

Other: A.J. Thomas

S Jaquan Brisker

2nd: Dane Cruikshank

3rd: Michael Joseph

Other: Davontae Harris

The Bears really went from having a rotating cast of underwhelming tight end candidates to putting up a depth chart of linebackers that feels uninspiring. Save for Roquan Smith, that collection of linebackers leaves plenty to be desired. This isn’t to say that someone can’t pop up, impress, take a job, and run with it. It’s not like we haven’t seen linebackers like Nick Kwiatkoski, Kevin Pierre-Louis, and Christian Jones climb from relative anonymity to carve out a worthwhile role on this defense and among the special teams. It’s just that this group has a whole new set of dudes angling for those gigs.

Even though the base depth chart suggests otherwise, I don’t believe the Bears will play three linebackers for a majority of their defensive snaps. Especially not with how often NFL teams deploy three-receiver sets. No starting nickel cornerback is listed on the depth chart. But I’d venture to guess Tavon Young sits atop that list right now, with Duke Shelley and Thomas Graham Jr. being in the mix. And I still believe there is a chance where we’ll see players such as DeAndre Houston-Carson and Dane Cruikshank play safety-linebacker hybrid roles.

I thought signing Al-Quadin Muhammad could put Trevis Gipson at risk of being demoted to second-string. After all, Muhammad was a starter for 17 games last year in Indy (where he was coached by Matt Eberflus!). But the reveal of this summer’s first depth chart has Gipson as the starter and Muhammad behind Robert Quinn. If it is any consolation, at least the Bears have a suitable starter at defensive end should they choose to trade Quinn later this year.

Angelo Blackson being the other starting defensive tackle in the four-lineman front makes me think Khyiris Tonga – a 2021 seventh-round pick by the last regime who is more of a fit as a 3-4 nose tackle – might be battling for a spot on the 53-player roster.

SPECIAL TEAMS

Kicker: Cairo Santos

Punter: Trenton Gill

Holder: Trenton Gill

2nd: Trevor Siemian

Kick returns: Khalil Herbert

2nd: Velus Jones Jr.

3rd: Byron Pringle

Other: Trestan Ebner

Punt returns: Dazz Newsome

2nd: Velus Jones Jr.

3rd: Nsimba Webster

Even though it was once commonplace, it has been a while since we’ve seen a non-punter serve as a holder. And while I’ll fall short of suggesting Tony Romo fumbling a snap in a playoff game against the Seahawks was the tipping point that took quarterbacks out of this role completely, I can’t say that incident didn’t play a significant role in changing the narrative

Considering injuries throughout the receivers room, I think the Bears would be better off not deploying anyone they are considering as a top-5 receiver on their depth chart in a return role right now. And because Ebner is at the back end of the running backs depth chart, using him as a primary return specialist in the preseason in an attempt to get him some touches he might not otherwise get could give the Bears a better chance at evaluating him this summer.

It sure would be nice to see Newsome show out like he did at Carolina. Newsome lost punt return duties during the preseason last year, leading to the Bears picking up Webster off waivers before Week 1. A Newsome-Webster battle might be something to keep an eye on when roster trims occur later this month.

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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