Chicago Bears strongest position group may also be the thinnest

The Chicago Bears have not had a wide receiver depth chart this loaded in quite some time. With three legitimate options at receiver, nobody is going to complain about what the room looks like. Beyond that, they have a long list of names competing beyond the big three; it does not appear to be a thin group. 

The Chicago Bears wide receiver depth chart is not as deep as it appears

However, as the preseason has played out, it has started to dwindle down. Tyler Scott has essentially locked himself in as the fourth wideout, but he was not good as a rookie, and his preseason has been up and down. He drew a big pass interference, and has some key snaps with Caleb Williams, but he also has 17 yards so far, and an abysmal 0.68 is the worst of all receivers with at least 16 routes. 

Velus Jones Jr. has moved to running back, so it is hard to count him in the mix. DeAndre Carter has been hurt, so it is hard to say what his roster status would be. The same can be said with Collin Johnson, who made noise two weeks ago and has yet to see the field since. 

This leaves Dante Pettis, Nsimba Webster, Freddie Swain, and John Jackson III as the only players on the depth chart. Swain is a journeyman and Jackson is a rookie UDFA who has hardly played. Pettis and Webster have been two of the most reliable wideouts in the preseason. They also both have return value. 

The issue is that both have been on the team for the past two seasons and both have struggled to make the roster. When either has been on the roster, they have made no noise. There is no upside to either of these two playing. 

So, the Bears have three really good receivers. These three are better than anything they have ever had. After that, it is the same old and possibly worse. If Scott could step up this year and they could get one of Carter or Johnson healthy it may be different. 

However, this is not an offense that can go four wide, and they cannot afford an injury to the top three. It is thin for how many names are on the depth chart.