While new Bears develop, can the defense carry them?

Projecting the Bears opening day depth chart on defense is a bit trickier than the offense because of all the competition in the secondary and new bodies coming up front.

While the new CBA allows a 55-man game-day roster, two of those players are actually practice squad guys, so the Bears can still avoid exposing just 53 players to waivers.

Having kept 25 on offense in my previous prediction, after adding kicker Cairo Santos, punter Patrick O'Donnell and long snapper Patrick Scales, we've got 25 spots to fill on D as well.

<h3 class="leadin">Defensive line

1. Akiem Hicks, 2. Eddie Goldman, 3. Bilal Nichols, 4. Mario Edwards Jr., 5. Angelo Blackson, 6. Khyiris Tonga.

The first four are givens, and unless Blackson has a medical or has lost a full step and a half or two, they didn't guarantee $3 million of his $5.5 million deal to cut him.

Tonga is a project, but I had a high fifth-round grade on him - much like Nichols - coming out, and let's not forget Edwards won't be available the first two weeks of the season.

It's pretty hard to see LaCale London, the only other D-lineman under contract at the moment, until all the undrafted free agents are confirmed, beating Tonga out. They're not going to carry just four the first two weeks, and with John Jenkins gone, Tonga is the only other pure nose tackle behind Goldman.

<h3 class="leadin">Outside linebacker

1. Khalil Mack, 2. Robert Quinn, 3. Jeremiah Attaochu, 4. Trevis Gipson, 5. Charles Snowden.

We know the first four are obvious, but I'm placing a pretty big bet on undrafted rookie free agent Charles Snowden from Virginia, whose signing will be confirmed by Friday.

Snowden is a real project but a freakish athlete at 6-6 ½, 240 pounds with an 83-inch wingspan. I had a second half of the third or fourth-round grade on and getting him as an undrafted free agent is a serious heist.

The problem is that while he may not give you much this year he'll never clear waivers to get to the practice squad, so I think he'll squeeze either Tonga, Lachavious Simmons or a worthy inside linebacker, cornerback or safety off the final 53.

<h3 class="leadin">Inside linebacker

1. Roquan Smith, 2. Danny Trevathan, 3. Christian Jones, 4. Ledarius Mack.

I'm making a big reach here, too, on Ledarius Mack. The Bears won't want to say goodbye to Joel Iyiegbuniwe or Josh Woods any more than they want to see James Vaughters go from the outside.

But we've probably seen the best those three have to offer, and Mack's ceiling is interesting.

Nepotism has nothing to do with my projection, but I have heard some interesting reports of how Ledarius' brother is torturing him in the weight room already this offseason. Ledarius Mack was a much better college player than most realized who may have needed a year of indoctrination to make the leap from Buffalo.

<h3 class="leadin">Safety

1. Eddie Jackson, 2. Tashaun Gipson, 3. Deon Bush, 4. Jordan Lucas.

I'm certain about the first three but just making a best guess on Lucas over DeAndre Houston-Carson and Marqui Christian because of his edge in starting safety experience - not a lot but some - and he could inherit the still unsigned Sherrick McManis role of special teams demon.

<h3 class="leadin">Cornerback

1. Jaylon Johnson, 2. Desmond Trufant, 3. Kindle Vildor, 4. Artie Burns, 5. Tre Roberson, 6. Thomas Graham Jr.

This is the most competitive position on the roster and only Johnson, Trufant and Vildor are locks. Although if Burns is fully recovered from the ACL tear, he seems a pretty sure thing, too.

It felt a bit like they hid Roberson on I.R. last year, and the Bears were really high on him when they signed him.

As much as I'm sure they don't want to part with Duke Shelley or Michael Joseph, Shelley is undersized and hasn't really flashed much, while Vildor being the only one of the first four under 6 feet gives them enough size to be comfortable moving on from Joseph, and Graham is a much more accomplished cover corner coming out of school.

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