Chicago Bears: An early, somewhat bold 53-man roster prediction
By Ryan Heckman
3. Defensive Line
Starters: Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Bilal Nichols
Chicago Bears
Welcome to the side of the ball which could be absolutely lethal this coming season. It all starts up front. If Akiem Hicks can play a healthy season, the defense changes completely. He’s one of the most well-rounded defensive linemen in all of football.
Last year, the Bears saw both he and Bilal Nichols miss time due to injury, so keeping these guys on the field is key. Obviously, the lesser talked about Eddie Goldman is the quiet constant in the middle. He’s as good as it gets in terms of a run-stopping nose tackle.
Reserves: Roy Robertson-Harris, John Jenkins, Abdullah Anderson, Brent Urban
Seeing Nicholas Williams leave for Detroit hurt, but the Bears brought back a familiar face in John Jenkins to take his spot. I see he and Roy Robertson-Harris getting a lot of playing time as reserves.
When Abdullah Anderson gets his chances to step in and play, he shines as well. He’s a great depth piece here, as is the familiar Brent Urban, coming back to Chicago again.