Breaking down the Chicago Bears depth chart before rookie minicamp

Running back

Starter: D’Andre Swift

Reserves: Kyle Monangai, Roschon Johnson, Brittain Brown, Deion Hankins, Coleman Bennett (UFA)

Staying put: It was a revolutionary 2025 season for Swift, who ranked fourth in rushing expected points added (+10.7) among qualifiers and seventh with 30 runs of 10 yards or more, according to NFL Pro. Monangai, the other half of the Bears’ one-two punch, ranked sixth in rushing success rate (47.9%), measured as the percentage of carries resulting in positive EPA.

In flux: Johnson saw a drastically reduced role, from 272 offensive snaps (23.94%) in 2024 to just four (0.35%) and from 55 rushing attempts to two. As primarily a special teamer, could his roster spot be in jeopardy? … Brown played in only three games with just five carries. … Hankins, an undrafted rookie in 2025, spent the whole season on injured reserve with shoulder and quadriceps injuries. … Bennett stands out as a tackle-breaker who also can catch passes (seven in Kennesaw State’s Conference USA championship win over Jacksonville State). He’s one to watch.

Wide receiver

Starters: Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III

Reserves: Kalif Raymond (FA), Jahdae Walker, Zavion Thomas (R), Maurice Alexander, JP Richardson, Squirrel White (UFA), Omari Kelly (UFA)

Staying put: The Bears traded DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills, so Odunze and Burden must step into larger roles.

In flux: With the departures of Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, 10th-year veteran Raymond becomes the senior presence in the receiver room. … Walker could be counted on more regularly. He was a camp darling last summer and scored the tying touchdown during a comeback overtime win against the Green Bay Packers in December. … Thomas projects as a gadget player and field stretcher until he shows he can handle more. … Alexander and Richardson were practice squad fixtures in 2025; Alexander played one offensive snap. … White is a slot receiver with good speed, but his overall Relative Athletic Score (1.53) is the worst among the Bears rookie class. He had just five catches for 52 yards in 10 games for Florida State last year. … Kelly bounced from Auburn to Middle Tennessee State to Michigan State, making 47 receptions for 626 yards (13.3 average) for the Spartans in 2025.

Tight end

Starters: Colston Loveland, Cole Kmet

Reserves: Sam Roush (R), Nikola Kalinic, Qadir Ismail, Stephen Carlson, Hayden Large (UFA)

Staying put: The runway is clear for Loveland to build on his second-half surge. … Kmet probably will find himself the subject of trade rumors once again, but coach Ben Johnson really likes his fit in 12 and 13 personnel.

In flux: Roush ranked highest among rookie tight ends with a 9.95 Relative Athletic Score, though his arm length (30 5/8 inches) is considered short for his 6-foot-6 frame. … Both Kalinic and Carlson spent all but two games last season on the practice squad. … Ismail, the son of former NFL wide receiver Qadry “The Missile” Ismail, signed a reserve/futures contract in January to return to the Bears. … Large (6-4, 250 pounds) is another athletic prospect whose bread and butter is blocking.

Tackle

Starters: Braxton Jones (left), Darnell Wright (right)

Reserves: Ozzy Trapilo (INJ), Theo Benedet, Jedrick Wills Jr. (FA), Kiran Amegadjie, Mason Murphy (UFA)

Staying put: The Bears picked up Wright’s fifth-year option and hope to lock him up with a long-term extension.

In flux: Jones was limited throughout camp last year by his recovery from December 2024 ankle surgery, but that wasn’t the only factor in his losing the starting job in Week 4 to Benedet — who later lost it to Trapilo. … Trapilo’s knee injury in the wild-card playoff game will sideline him for most of next season, and the Bears didn’t draft a tackle. They did sign former first-round pick Wills, but he didn’t play at all last season while recovering from his own knee injury. … In short, Jones, Benedet and Wills all have their blemishes. … Amegadjie has drawbacks too — he lost most of last season to an elbow injury — but the Bears saw enough to spend a 2024 third-round pick on him. Could there still be untapped potential? The Bears have expressed optimism, noting Amegadjie will have his first full offseason and also has been working at guard entering a pivotal third season. … Murphy, primarily a right tackle at Auburn last year, also filled in at center for three games.

Guard

Starters: Joe Thuney (left), Jonah Jackson (right)

Reserves: Jordan McFadden, Luke Newman, Kyle Hergel, Caden Barnett (UFA)

Staying put: Thuney, a first-team All-Pro last season and winner of the inaugural NFL Protector of the Year award, is entrenched at left guard. But at 33, his availability is season by season. … Jackson formed a formidable tandem with Wright on the right side.

In flux: McFadden spent most of last season on the practice squad but played the final five regular-season games and started the divisional playoff game against the Los Angeles Rams. … Newman, a sixth-round pick last year, played 25 offensive snaps (2.17%). He’s also working at center. … The Bears signed Hergel to the practice squad before Week 10. … Barnett was named second-team All-Mountain West at Wyoming.

Center

Starter: Garrett Bradbury

Reserves: Logan Jones (R), Jaren Kump (UFA)

In flux: Someone has to inherit the starting center spot vacated by Drew Dalman’s retirement, and it’s likely that Bradbury, a veteran trade acquisition from the New England Patriots, will get the nod over second-round pick Jones, at least early in the season. … Kump logged 59 games in six seasons at Utah.

Defensive end

Starters: Montez Sweat, Dayo Odeyingo (INJ)

Reserves: Austin Booker, Shemar Turner (INJ), Daniel Hardy, Jamree Kromah, Jeremiah Martin, Jonathan Garvin

Staying put: Sweat, the highest-paid Bear, may be the only edge rusher you could pencil in as an every-game starter with 100% certainty. The Bears were “involved” in trade talks for the Las Vegas Raiders’ Maxx Crosby but refused to get in a bidding war. They also didn’t draft an edge, so they’re riding with last year’s bunch — for now.

In flux: This could be a make-or-break season for Odeyingbo, who is coming off a midseason torn Achilles and will count $20.5 million against the salary cap this year. The Bears could save $15 million if they released him next offseason. Coaches may need to deploy him as an edge rusher, but they acknowledged last season that they prefer him inside. … Booker was third on the team with 4½ sacks in 10 games, but his 3.68-second average time to pressure was fifth-slowest in the league among defensive line qualifiers. He has a high motor, but coaches admit he’s slightly undersized at 6-6, 245 pounds. … The Bears said Turner was showing growth before he was placed on IR with a torn ACL in Week 9, but the 2025 second-round pick needs to put more of it on tape. … Hardy played 77.85% of the special teams snaps last season and 5% of the defensive snaps … Kromah spent the entire season on the practice squad. … Garvin and Martin joined the practice squad in October and November, respectively.

Defensive tackle

Starters: Grady Jarrett, Gervon Dexter Sr.

Reserves: Neville Gallimore (FA), Kentavius Street (FA), James Lynch (FA), Jordan van den Berg (R), Jayden Loving (UFA)

Staying put: The Bears cleaned house except for starters Jarrett and Dexter. Odeyingbo could be in the mix as well.

In flux: The 33-year-old Jarrett dealt with knee problems last season. … Dexter is entering the final year of his rookie contract and has not been offered an extension. … Both starters could be vulnerable to sixth-round pick van den Berg, who had three sacks and 11 tackles for a loss at Georgia Tech last season and rated a perfect 10 Relative Athletic Score among draft prospects. … If Dexter and Jarrett hold on to the starting spots, van den Berg, Gallimore and Street will compete to replace Andrew Billings as the primary rotational interior lineman. … Lynch previously played a reserve role for the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings. … Loving, who had 2½ sacks and three fumble recoveries last season for Wake Forest, can play across the line and has the burst to potentially pose a challenge.

Linebacker

Starters: T.J. Edwards (INJ), Devin Bush (FA)

Reserves: Noah Sewell, D’Marco Jackson, Keyshaun Elliott (R), Ruben Hyppolite II, Jack Sanborn (FA), Nephi Sewell, Dominique Hampton

Staying put: Edwards broke his fibula during the wild-card victory against the Packers. He won’t have running mate Tremaine Edmunds, who signed with the New York Giants after the Bears released him.

In flux: Bush should bring an upgrade from Edmunds in speed and range. … Noah Sewell started nine games but could face a battle with Jackson and Elliott for third in the pecking order. … Jackson was pressed into five starts by injuries and earned an NFC Defensive Player of the Week nod. Can he build on that performance? … The Bears like fifth-round pick Elliott’s physicality and ability to play either linebacker spot. … Hyppolite, a fourth-round pick in 2025, was buried on last year’s depth chart. Elliott’s selection adds another obstacle to his ascension. … Lake Zurich native Sanborn returns home after one season (five starts) with the Dallas Cowboys. … Nephi Sewell signed a reserve/futures contract to reunite with his brother Noah and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, his former head coach with the New Orleans Saints. … Hampton joined the practice squad in late November.

Cornerback

Starters: Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon (nickel)

Reserves: Malik Muhammad (R), Terell Smith, Zah Frazier, Jaylon Jones, Josh Blackwell, Dallis Flowers, Dontae Manning, KC Eziomume (UFA)

Staying put: Johnson, a two-time Pro Bowl selection, was hampered by a groin injury and made only six starts in 2025. … Gordon played only five games, including the playoffs. … Stevenson started 10 out of the 15 games he played, including postseason. He was benched in favor of Nahshon Wright when Johnson returned.

In flux: The Bears traded up to get Muhammad in the fourth round, called a steal by a consensus of draft experts. The front office likes his competitiveness and speed. Muhammad looks like the front-runner to be the first boundary corner off the bench, and he could challenge Stevenson. … Smith missed last season with a torn patellar tendon in his left knee. He could be in competition with Frazier, a 2025 fifth-round pick who missed the season for personal reasons. … Jones received 39 defensive snaps but mostly played special teams. … Blackwell played just three snaps on defense but stood out on special teams. … Flowers and Manning were mainly practice squad players. … Eziomume has good size at 6-1, 198 pounds.

Safety

Starters: Coby Bryant (FA), Dillon Thieneman (R)

Reserves: Cam Lewis (FA), Elijah Hicks, Gervarrius Owens, Skyler Thomas (UFA)

In flux: There are no returning starters as Bryant and Thieneman take over. … Bryant has the “trained killer” mentality that Ben Johnson salivates over. … Thieneman has ideal start-stop ability, can hunt down ball carriers through lanes and instinctually reads plays from center field. … Lewis likely plugs in as the Swiss Army knife of the secondary, with experience at nickel corner in addition to safety. … Hicks has served mostly on special teams, but the Bears believed enough in him as a depth safety to bring him back. … Owens spent last season on the practice squad. … Thomas had three interceptions and defended 17 passes in four seasons at Oregon State. He started all 12 games in each of the last two seasons.

Specialists

Starters: Cairo Santos (kicker), Tory Taylor (punter)

Reserves: Gabriel Plascencia (kicker, UFA), Luke Elkin (long snapper), Beau Gardner (long snapper, UFA)

Staying put: Santos survived a flirtation with Jake Moody last season and made 83.3% of his field goals. … Taylor ranked 22nd in net punting average (40.4 yards).

In flux: Plascencia made 36 of 41 field-goal attempts (87.8%) in three seasons for San Diego State. … Elkin was in camp with the Bears last summer and signed a reserve/futures contract in January. He’ll battle Gardner — the Mannelly Award winner as the nation’s top long snapper last season at Georgia — to replace Scott Daly.

Kick return

Starter: Zavion Thomas (R)

Reserves: Kalif Raymond (FA), Josh Blackwell, Luther Burden III

Staying put: Blackwell will have a special teams role, but it’s hard to see him getting another 18 kickoff returns (as Devin Duvernay’s partner) with the upgrade in talent.

In flux: Raymond is a two-time second-team All Pro punt returner and has 62 career kickoff returns, but he may give way on both fronts to Thomas’ speed (4.28 in the 40). … The Bears drafted Thomas in the third round specifically to take better advantage of the dynamic kickoff. … Burden had eight kickoff returns as a rookie, averaging a team-high 27.9 yards. But his bigger role on offense likely makes it too risky to use him on returns. … Among undrafted rookies, Squirrel White returned punts for Florida State and Tennessee, and Omari Kelly averaged 12.5 yards on punt returns for Michigan State.