Chicago Bears training camp preview: Top 5 strongest positions

The 2024 Chicago Bears should be in a much better place than they were even just a year ago. General manager Ryan Poles has been busy building upon the late-season success that his team showed in 2023.

This Bears team, at least on paper, has improved dramatically. Now it’s time to find out just how real that perceived improvement is. Bears training camp begins this week at Halas Hall in Lake Forest. The team will take the field for its first practice Saturday.

So what is the strength of this team? Here’s a look at the Bears’ top five position groups, as ranked by Shaw Local Bears beat writer Sean Hammond.

[ Shaw Local’s guide to Chicago Bears training camp 2024 ]

1. Linebackers

Ahead of the 2023 season, the Bears spent big on the linebacker position. Two of their biggest free agent additions were Tremaine Edmunds (four years, $72 million) and TJ Edwards (three years, $19.5 million). That duo just got better and better as the 2023 season went along. Edmunds had four interceptions and one forced fumble, while Edwards finished top 10 in the NFL in combined tackles. Add third linebacker Jack Sanborn to the mix, and this group is incredibly deep.

The linebackers played a big role in the defensive turnaround late last season. With this entire group returning in 2024, there is great continuity here. These guys are the physical heart and soul of this defense. For a Bears organization steeped in history at linebacker, it’s fitting that these guys are leading the way.

2. Cornerbacks

The linebackers might be the right pick for No. 1, but the cornerbacks are a flashy second choice. The defense as a whole led the NFL with 22 interceptions last season, and the entire starting lineup returns at cornerback. Jaylon Johnson and Tyrique Stevenson will start on the outside, while Kyler Gordon will play in the slot.

Johnson and Stevenson each had four interceptions. Stevenson forced two fumbles, while Johnson forced one. Johnson earned a huge contract over the offseason. Stevenson could be in line for a breakout season. He’s not a rookie anymore. If he plays like he did in December, the Bears could be looking at an elite duo. Gordon found a role when the team decided to keep him focused on the slot receivers.

3. Wide receivers

The most revamped position on the team is receiver. The Bears added veteran Keenan Allen and No. 9 overall draft pick Rome Odunze. Those two join DJ Moore in the starting lineup.

Of the five positions on this list, this might be the one that requires the most projection. Nobody really knows how Moore, Allen and Odunze will fit together on the field. On paper, it could be one of the best receiving groups in the NFL. With Moore and Allen, the Bears are the only team with two receivers who totaled 1,200 yards or more in 2023.

Over the past two years, wide receiver has catapulted from one of the Bears’ worst position groups to one of the team’s best. It should be the strength of the Bears’ offense in 2024. Those three receivers should be quarterback Caleb Williams’ best friends throughout his rookie campaign.

4. Safeties

The Bears released veteran safety Eddie Jackson in February and quickly replaced him by signing veteran Kevin Byard to a two-year, $15 million contract. The defense will pair Byard with third-year pro Jaquan Brisker at the safety position.

Brisker is a big, imposing and physical safety. He has the size to play close to the line of scrimmage. Jackson was a talented center fielder but didn’t play with as much success near the line of scrimmage. The hope is that Byard will allow the defense to be more dynamic and disguise things better between him and Brisker.

Byard is a rock-solid safety. He doesn’t have to be an All-Pro for this position to thrive. The Bears also have great depth here with Jonathan Owens and Elijah Hicks as backups.

5. Running backs

The addition of D’Andre Swift at running back makes it clear that the Bears still are going to be heavily dependent on their elite run game. The Bears finished second in the NFL in rushing yards per game last season, then they went out and added a Pro Bowl running back.

With Swift, Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, the Bears have a deep unit. Williams is a mobile quarterback, but he doesn’t have the elite speed that Justin Fields does. If the Bears are going to keep rushing at an elite level, their running backs will have to make up for the yards that Fields used to provide.

The Bears signed Swift to a three-year, $24 million contract in free agency. They’re paying him to be the lead back in Chicago, and he elevates the running back position significantly.