Bears' Projected Winners of Key Position Battles

Training camp and preseason games are important for every NFL team. But perhaps even more so for franchises currently in a state like the Chicago Bears, who are looking to turn things around in a new era led by first-time head coach Matt Eberflus.

There are a lot of young, unproven players on the Bears' roster, and there have been plenty of battles going on for starting jobs and spots on the team throughout camp. Those continued Saturday, when Chicago played its preseason opener, which was a 19-14 win over the Kansas City Chiefs.

But wins and losses don't matter during exhibition contests. The most important thing for the Bears in that "victory" is that their overhauled coaching staff got to evaluate players in a game setting for the first time. And that's critical as they look to trim their roster, eventually down to 53 players before the regular-season opener against the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 11.

Here's a look at where several key position battles in Chicago's training camp currently stand, along with projected winners for each.

Strong-Side Outside Linebacker

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LAKE FOREST, IL - JULY 27: Chicago Bears linebacker Matthew Adams (44) looks on during the Chicago Bears Training Camp on July 27, 2022 at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, IL. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Two of the Bears' three starting linebackers are set. Roquan Smith will be in the middle (assuming his contract situation is resolved and he returns to the team) and Nicholas Morrow, a free-agent acquisition, will be on the weak side. But who will be Chicago's outside linebacker on the strong side?

It seems to be a two-player competition between Matt Adams and Joe Thomas. However, Josh Schrock of NBC Sports Chicago recently noted that undrafted rookie Jack Sanborn "very well could end up factoring into" the battle for the third starting spot in the linebacker corps.

Sanborn impressed in the preseason opener, recording seven tackles, an interception and a fumble recovery. And it seems quite likely that he's at least earned a roster spot at this point, even if he doesn't end up a starter.

Although Sanborn is an exciting player and Thomas has a decent amount of starting experience, the edge may still go to Adams, who spent the past four seasons with the Indianapolis Colts and is familiar with Eberflus, who was the Colts' defensive coordinator during that time. So Adams should be the most comfortable in the system.

Projection: Matt Adams starts at strong-side linebacker

No. 3 Running Back

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears running back Trestan Ebner carries the ball during the first half of an NFL preseason football game against the Kansas City Chiefs Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

David Montgomery will be the Bears' starting running back, while Khalil Herbert will serve as the primary backup. But there's an exciting competition heating up for the No. 3 RB role, and it features rookie Trestan Ebner and free-agent acquisition Darrynton Evans.

It's not a guarantee that Chicago is going to carry four running backs, so this may also be a battle for a roster spot. But if both Ebner and Evans continue to fare well, then the Bears may end up more likely to keep both heading into the regular season.

Ebner, a sixth-round draft pick out of Baylor, impressed in his preseason debut, leading the Bears with 31 rushing yards on six carries. Meanwhile, Evans had only 20 yards on seven rushing attempts.

Still, Evans is an exciting player to keep for depth, considering he's only 24 and didn't get a ton of opportunities to showcase his potential over his two seasons with the Tennessee Titans. So it may be worthwhile for Chicago to keep him on the roster, even if he ends up behind Ebner on the depth chart.

And that does seem likely because Ebner is clearly a talented player who could be worthy of some playing time when Montgomery and Herbert need breathers.

Projection: Trestan Ebner secures No. 3 RB role

Depth Wide Receivers

AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh

Chicago Bears wide receiver Tajae Sharpe catches a pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian as Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Joshua Williams (23) and safety Bryan Cook defend during the first half of an NFL preseason football game Saturday, Aug. 13, 2022, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

There's one known thing about the Bears' depth chart at wide receiver: Darnell Mooney is at No. 1. Beyond that, there are a host of receivers currently battling it out not only for roster spots but also starting jobs for the start of the 2022 season.

Some of the wide receivers in the starting mix appear to be safe on the roster, though. That group includes rookie Velus Jones Jr., Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle. Plus, there's N'Keal Harry, who is currently dealing with an ankle injury and may not count against a roster spot to open the year but is likely to stay with the team beyond the preseason.

If Harry is out for a while, Chicago may opt to carry two receivers from the following group: Tajae Sharpe, Dante Pettis, Dazz Newsome, David Moore and possibly a couple of others. But it seems likely that Sharpe and Pettis have an advantage over the rest of those options.

Sharpe demonstrated a great connection with quarterback Justin Fields during the preseason opener, improving his stock in the process. Meanwhile, Pettis can be a solid contributor on special teams, which is important for a receiver who will likely be as low on the depth chart as he will be.

So as long as the Bears go with six WRs on their roster, Sharpe and Pettis are likely to both make the team.

Projection: Tajae Sharpe and Dante Pettis earn final two WR spots