Chicago Bears: 5 pre-daft position battle previews

Middle Linebacker

Locked in: Danny Trevathan

Currently competing: Nick Kwiatkoski, John Timu

Bears fans notice a theme over the course of this offseason — linebacker is currently the weakest position on the roster. Outside linebacker will see lots of changes as previously stated, as well as middle linebacker.

At the moment, Danny Trevathan is one of the locked-and-loaded starters. The other inside linebacker is up for grabs, however. Right now, the two guys most likely competing for the job are Nick Kwiatkoski (pictured above) and John Timu (recently re-signed).

If the season started tomorrow, Kwiatkoski would slide into the other starting position alongside Trevathan. He has come a long way since his rookie season in 2016. Playing on special teams and filling in here and there due to injuries, Kwiatkoski is experienced in the Bears’ system and would more than likely be serviceable.

The problem is, at the NFL-level, you want more than just a serviceable starter. If the ultimate goal is a championship, you want rock-solid starters at every position if possible. Kwiatkoski may develop into one, but once again, the Bears will likely give him competition via the draft.

If the Bears decide to go after one early, they could wind up with either Edmunds or Roquan Smith. A couple of guys who could fall to them in the second or third round would be Rashaan Evans (unlikely to slip past early round two) or Darius Leonard.