Chicago Bears 2023 roster ranking: No. 66 DeMarquis Gates

We are in the top 70 of our countdown of the top players on the Chicago Bears roster. Our list is looking into which players have the best chance at making the team and then making impacts on Sundays. Today, we are onto number 66, linebacker DeMarquis Gates.

Chicago Bears 2023 roster ranking: No. 66 DeMarquis Gates

DeMarquis Gates has taken an interesting path to the Chicago Bears in 2023. Gates was a UDFA back in 2018 and did not stick in the NFL very long. Gates went to the AAF in 2019, then back to the NFL with Washington, where he spent time on their practice squad.

In 2020, he played in the XFL, then caught on for the Vikings practice squad. Lastly, in 2021, he went from the CFL to the USFL, where he shined in 2022 and caught the Chicago Bears' eyes.

The depth chart was thin last year, but DeMarquis Gates made a strong push to make the roster. He was going tackle-for-tackle with Jack Sanborn in the preseason.

Gates stuck around on the practice squad, and all of the injuries allowed him to get called up to the NFL late in the season. Still, he played just two NFL snaps on defense and 35 on special teams.

The hope for Gates is that he can make progress after finally sticking with a team for more than one year. However, the ranking we have says it will be hard. When you look at the linebacker depth chart, the room is a lot different than last year.

Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards are the main starters, and Jack Sanborn beat out Gates last year. Noah Sewell was drafted, so you assume they like him over Gates, and even guys like Dylan Cole and Sterling Weatherford have to be ranked ahead of him because they have already carved out roles in the NFL.

Gates flashed, and he could push someone like Dylan Cole, which is why we have him up at 66. However, the most likely scenario is Gates spending another year on the practice squad or trying to catch on somewhere else. That is why we cannot move him any closer to the top 50.