Chicago Bears 53-man roster projection following preseason Week 1

Defensive line (5): Andrew Billings, Zacch Pickens, Gervon Dexter Sr., Michael Dwumfour, Dashaun Mallory

The top three positions here are locked. The team is hoping Pickens and Dexter take a step forward in 2024 after failing to make any notable additions to the interior this offseason.

Dwumfour and Mallory both impressed on Saturday. The UDFA Mallory collected three tackles and a sack, while Dwumfour added two tackles of his own. Keith Randolph Jr. and Byron Cowart, the other competitors at the position, failed to register any stats against the Bills.

It's still an open competition, but Mallory and Dwumfour put themselves firmly on the map on Saturday.

Edge rusher (5): Montez Sweat, DeMarcus Walker, Jacob Martin, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy

On my first final roster prediction, I had the team rolling with just four edge rushers. However, Daniel Hardy burst onto the scene on Saturday and may force the team's hand. Sweat and Walker are locks, but going into Saturday, there were a lot of unknowns at the position. Hardy may have changed that.

Hardy had five tackles, 2.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss against the Bills. Rookie Austin Booker also filled the stat sheet with five tackles and 2.5 sacks of his own. The two youngsters should make Bears fans feel much better about the depth at edge rusher.