Breaking down the Bears’ roster after the 2018 NFL Draft

The 2018 NFL Draft is officially in the rearview mirror, and the Chicago Bears are in good shape coming out of the event. Considered by many to have put together one of the best draft classes in the league this year, they were able to add young talent to a roster that already improved greatly in free agency. For the first time in quite a while, fans have started to develop relatively high expectations for the team.

That’s not to say that they’re perfect. In fact, they’re far from it. However, on paper, the Bears are in much better shape than they have ever been since general manager Ryan Pace took over the role in 2015. With a franchise quarterback, a bright, young, new coach in Matt Nagy, and building blocks on both sides of the ball, Chicago seems to have a bright future ahead of them.

Let’s take a look at what the Bears have at each position as we head into the dull part of the 2018 offseason.

Quarterback (3): Mitchell Trubisky, Chase Daniel, Tyler Bray

Overall, the Bears are in good shape at the quarterback position. Trubisky is their quarterback of the future, while Daniel and Bray serve as veterans with knowledge of Nagy’s system.

Running Back (7): Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham, Taquan Mizzell, Ryan Nall, Nick Wilson, Michael Burton (fullback)

Despite meager trade rumors, Howard is still a Chicago Bear. He and Cohen hope to build off of their respective 2017 campaigns. If you’re looking for a sleeper in this group, keep an eye on Nall. An undrafted free agent out of Oregon State, he’s a powerful and versatile back who could sneak his way onto the 53-man roster.

Wide Receiver (11): Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, Anthony Miller, Kevin White, Bennie Fowler, Josh Bellamy, Javon Wims, Marlon Brown, Tanner Gentry, DeMarcus Ayers, Garrett Johnson

Wait, do the Bears actually have...good wide receivers? Robinson, Gabriel, and Miller form a dangerous trio in the passing game. White will be a true wild card, as he has yet to play more than four games in a single season.

Tight End (6): Adam Shaheen, Trey Burton, Dion Sims, Daniel Brown, Ben Braunecker, Colin Thompson

Chicago has a little bit of everything at tight end. They have their athletic, h-back type player (Burton), their in-line blocking tight end (Sims), and their big-bodied red-zone threat (Shaheen). They kept four tight ends on the 53-man roster throughout most of the 2017 season, so the battle for the final tight end spot on the roster should be interesting.

Offensive Tackles (5): Charles Leno Jr., Bobby Massie, Bradley Sowell, Cameron Lee, Brandon Greene

The Bears aren’t necessarily bad at offensive tackle, but they aren’t good, either. Leno is a reliable blindside protector, but he’s not elite by any means. Massie is entering the final year of his contract, and he hasn’t proven that he should be brought back as of late. Sowell will likely serve as the team’s swing tackle.

Offensive Guards (7): Kyle Long, James Daniels, Eric Kush, Jordan Morgan, Earl Watford, Will Perichak, Rashaad Coward

With the addition of Daniels - who will play at left guard - the Bears have a very good interior offensive line. He and Long form a potentially dangerous duo, while Kush and Morgan serve as very good depth options. An interesting storyline leading up to the regular season will be Coward’s transition from defensive end to offensive guard.

Center (4): Cody Whitehair, Hroniss Grasu, Travis Averill, Dejon Allen

Whitehair looks to build upon his late-season surge from 2017 and take a big step in a new offensive scheme which will see more snaps out of the shotgun. Grasu’s job may be in jeopardy, as he has yet to live up to his 2015 third-round status.

Defensive Linemen (11): Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Jonathan Bullard, Roy Robertson-Harris, Bilal Nichols, John Jenkins, Olubunmi Rotimi, Nick Williams, Cavan Walker, Abdullah Anderson

The Bears have one good starter on the defensive line, and one very good starter on the defensive line. Goldman and Hicks (respectively) have proven to be reliable starters up front, but the final spot on the line is a question mark. Bullard, Robertson-Harris, and Nichols, their 2018 fifth-round pick, will all fight for the final starting defensive end slot.

Edge Rushers (8): Leonard Floyd, Aaron Lynch, Sam Acho, Kylie Fitts, Howard Jones, Isaiah Irving, Andrew Trumbetti, Elijah Norris

The weakest position group on the roster, the Bears need a lot of improvement from a lot of players at the edge rusher position. While Floyd hasn’t been bad, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations of being the ninth overall pick in 2016. Lynch will have to stay healthy - he hasn’t played in more than 10 games since 2015 - Acho will have to step up and Fitts may end up playing more than he’s ready for. There’s some upside in the group, sure, but the pass rush may be what holds Chicago back this season.

Inside Linebackers (7): Danny Trevathan, Roquan Smith, Nick Kwiatkoski, Joel Iyegbuniwe, John Timu, Jonathan Anderson, Nyles Morgan

Chicago has a lot to look forward to at the inside linebacker position. Trevathan is a very good player when healthy, and Smith is a pro-ready rookie who will likely step in right away and make a big impact on the Bears’ defense. Kwiatkoski is a reliable rotational piece who, according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, could see some looks at edge rusher, and Iyegbuniwe is an intriguing rookie who could develop into a starter with time.

Cornerbacks (11): Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara, Bryce Callahan, Marcus Cooper, Cre’Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis, Kevin Toliver, Doran Grant, Jonathon Mincy, Michael Joseph, Rashad Fant

With the return of the starting tandem of Fuller and Amukamara at cornerback with Callahan at the nickelback position, the Bears are in good hands in their secondary. Le’Blanc is a good backup in the slot, but they lack depth at the outside cornerback spots. Toliver, an undrafted rookie from LSU, could be a player who could sneak onto the 53-man roster.

Safeties (5): Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deiondre’ Hall, DeAndre Houston-Carson, Deon Bush, Nick Orr

Jackson and Amos both surpassed the expectations of many in 2017, leaving the Bears with a solid tandem at safety. The depth behind them, though, is severely lacking. Houston-Carson is a very good special teams player, but none of the backups have proven to be good options in relief of one of the starters. If both of their starting safeties stay healthy, then the position shouldn’t be an issue. If one of them goes down, though, there could be problems.

Special Teams (4): Cody Parkey (kicker), Pat O’Donnell (punter), Patrick Scales (long snapper), Ryan Winslow (punter)

The Bears brought in competition at punter, but let’s make no mistake about it: their starting special teamers are pretty much set.