Predicting Chicago Bears' 53-man roster, surely to be influenced by injuries

Bears players on the fringe have one last opportunity to state their cases in Thursday night's preseason finale against Buffalo before head coach Matt Nagy, his assistants and GM Ryan Pace hammer out the 53-man roster, which must be finalized by 3 p.m. Saturday.

Some of the bubble boys who are Saturday's casualties will be back the following day, when the Bears begin constructing their 10-man practice squad. Here's an early look at who the final 53 will be when the smoke clears on Saturday.

QUARTERBACKS (2) Mitch Trubisky, Chase Daniel

Daniel has proved beyond a shadow of doubt that he can run Nagy's offense efficiently, and he is an invaluable mentor to Trubisky. No. 3 Tyler Bray also knows the system well and performed adequately in the preseason, but the Bears may not be able to afford to keep three quarterbacks.

RUNNING BACKS (4) Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham, Ryan Nall

This is a deep and competitive position, which could go several ways. The versatile Cunningham has value as a special-teams contributor in all phases. He is used more as a pass catcher than a ball carrier, but the Bears don't need anyone else to tote the rock as long as Howard and Cohen are healthy. Nall offers a big-bodied back who could factor in short-yardage situations and has better-than-expected speed and good pass-catching ability. TaQuan Mizzell got plenty of work in the first four preseason games but averaged just 2.3 yards per carry with a long gain of nine yards. Nall has averaged 5.1 yards per carry, including a 69-yard gallop. Veteran Knile Davis is experienced and has kickoff-return ability. Michael Burton's fate depends on if Nagy decides a true fullback is necessary.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6) Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Kevin White, Taylor Gabriel, Javon Wims, Josh Bellamy

Some have speculated that White will be cut, but I don't see Pace giving up on his initial first-round pick, especially when the hard-luck wideout is 100 percent healthy, a rare occurrence in his four-year career. White is still bigger, faster and stronger than most receivers, but he needs to convert that into production. Bellamy is a core special-teams player, who has caught the ball better than ever this year. Wims showed way too much potential in an impressive preseason for the Bears to get away with stashing the seventh-round rookie on the practice squad, where he'd be snapped up by another team.

TIGHT ENDS (5) Trey Burton, Dion Sims, Adam Shaheen, Daniel Brown, Ben Braunecker

Keeping five is unusual, but Shaheen (ankle, foot) is unlikely to contribute much in the first month, even though Nagy doesn't believe he's a candidate for injured reserve. Just as important is the emphasis that Nagy's offense places on tight end contributions in the passing game, and Brown and Braunecker have both shown pass-catching ability in the preseason. Those two also contribute on special teams, especially Braunecker.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (8) Left tackle Charles Leno, left guard Eric Kush, center Cody Whitehair, right guard Kyle Long, right tackle Bobby Massie, guard/center James Daniels, tackle/guard Bradley Sowell, tackle Rashaad Coward

A lot depends on who starts the season as the No. 1 left guard - Kush or Daniels. Plus, the idea of moving Whitehair to LG continues to be debated - at least in the media. If Whitehair gets moved, who's better equipped to be the Week One starter at center, the rookie Daniels or the fourth-year veteran Hroniss Grasu? But Grasu could be the odd man out since he's considered a one-position player and versatility is of paramount importance for OL backups. Coward is raw, having recently converted from the D-line, and he could be stashed on the practice squad. Another complication is Sowell's sprained ankle, which may or may not make him available for the opener.

DEFENSIVE LINE (7) Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Roy Robertson-Harris, Jonathan Bullard, John Jenkins, Nick Williams, Bilal Nichols

Robertson-Harris and Bullard are battling for the No. 1 right end job, while Jenkins and Williams both provide veteran depth, but Jenkins' spot seems to be more secure. Nichols hasn't done much to excite, but as a fifth-round pick, he's probably entitled to a redshirt year.

OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS (5) Leonard Floyd, Sam Acho, Isaiah Irving, Aaron Lynch, Kylie Fitts

This is another position with a lot of uncertainty because of Floyd's broken right hand and Lynch's unavailability because of a hamstring injury. The Bears believe Floyd can contribute in the early going despite having to play with a padded club covering his injured hand and limiting his use of it. If the Bears are confident Lynch will be 100 percent by Week One after an interminable recovery from a hamstring injury, he has value, especially if Floyd is ineffective early. Irving and Fitts are both intriguing because of their pass-rush potential. Irving is the better bet, but sixth-round draft pick Fitts may not be safe from poaching if he's placed on the practice squad.

INSIDE LINEBACKERS (4) Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski, Roquan Smith, Joel Iyiegbuniwe

How much can the first-round pick Smith contribute in Week One after not playing a single snap in the preseason following a 29-day holdout and the not surprising hamstring injury that ensued? Fourth-year veterans John Timu and Jonathan Anderson both have valuable experience in Vic Fangio's defense and are special-teams contributors, but do they have more value than Iyiegbuniwe, the fourth-round draft pick, who has way more upside and is also expected to make an impact on special teams?

CORNERBACKS (5) Kyle Fuller, Prince Amukamara, Bryce Callahan, Cre'Von LeBlanc, Sherrick McManis.

McManis might not figure much in the defense, but he's an exceptional special-teams player. If they keep six, sixth-year veteran Marcus Cooper could survive.

SAFETIES (4) Eddie Jackson, Adrian Amos, Deon Bush, DeAndre Houston-Carson

Houston-Carson's broken arm could derail his candidacy and create an opening for draft classmate Deiondre' Hall, whose one-game drug suspension has not helped his cause.

SPECIALISTS (3) place-kicker Cody Parkey, punter Pat O'Donnell, longsnapper Patrick Scales

Ryan Winslow was brought in as a training-camp challenger, but O'Donnell has performed well enough to keep his job for another year. Rookie LS Tanner Carew was a late addition, but Scales' experience gives him the edge.

• Bob LeGere is a senior writer at Pro Football Weekly. Follow Bob's Bears reports on Twitter @BobLeGere or @PFWeekly.