Chicago Bears: 4 players that could alter depth chart

Defensive End Bilal Nichols

Over the last few seasons, the Bears have not found a real answer opposite Akiem Hicks. You could argue that this defensive end spot is the defense’s weakest link at the moment, but one guy is out to end the discussion altogether.

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Enter: Bilal Nichols.

Last season, Nichols took his limited playing time and turned it into more and more as the season went on. Competing for time with two other guys, Jonathan Bullard and Roy Robertson-Harris, Nichols’ road to being a starter may have seemed tough at first.

The way I saw it, the spot was his for the taking. Neither Bullard nor Robertson-Harris had broken out as a solidified starter since joining the Bears, and all Nichols had to do was snatch the spot from underneath them.

While I believe most view Nichols as the concrete starter right now, I think he is only getting started. The elite talent around him allowed Nichols to showcase how special he can be last year, but after getting his rookie year under his belt, he’s about to take off even more.

Whether or not Bullard and Robertson-Harris shine in camp, it’s Nichols’ job to lose. I firmly believe this kid is going to have a phenomenal summer and prove, once again, how smart Ryan Pace is. He is going to solidify his starting position, eliminating the questions the Bears have had at this position in the past.