Chicago Bears: 53-man roster prediction following the draft

Defensive Line

Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols,
Roy Robertson-Harris, John Jenkins, Brent Urban (6)

Now we flip to the opposite of the ball but still start with the big men up front. With the injuries this team sustained to Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols last season, it will be fantastic if both could remain healthy. Hicks is obviously the most important factor.

Eddie Goldman is the most underrated player on this line. He is a people eater and allows others to run free. It would not shock me if Roy Robertson-Harris overtakes Nichols on the depth chart. I am a big fan of both Nichols and Robertson-Harris though. Neither are going to be household stars, but they bring more to the table than the average fan realizes.

John Jenkins returns to Chicago on a cheap, one-year deal to be the backup to Goldman. He is essentially this year’s Nick Williams. Williams ended up being more than Goldman’s backup though and was awarded a two-year deal with the Lions. With the injuries sustained last year to Hicks and Nichols, plus the new CBA rules for roster sizes, I see the Chicago Bears keeping six defensive linemen.

Rounding out the six is Brent Urban who returned this year on a one-year deal. Urban probably will not play much unless injuries happen, but he is also a solid contributor on special teams. He played 10 percent of the special teams snaps for the Bears last year. If he wants to remain on the team, he will need to increase that percentage.