Chicago Bears: Official depth chart brings intrigue, questions
By Ryan Heckman
3. Defensive Line
DT: Akiem Hicks, Brent Urban
NT: Bilal Nichols, John Jenkins
DE: Roy Robertson-Harris
On paper, the starting defensive front should be enough to get it done, especially considering what they have backing them up. The real concern comes if any one of those three get injured.
Of course, the scariest injury would be to see Hicks go down once again. Last year, he missed the majority of the year due to multiple injuries. It was frustrating to him and frustrating to the fans. He’s far too good of a player to see injuries take his season away from him, and everyone is hoping 2020 is a different story.
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Should Hicks go down, the Bears’ line is in serious trouble. This is one area the team will have to look at free agency if one or two of these players were to go inactive for any reason. The practice squad is there for a reason, sure. But, they will need a far more experienced player to step in if one of the starters get injured.
On the positive side, Nichols’ adaptability is a phenomenal attribute to this defense. Being able to shift inside and continue to be effective will help ease the loss of Eddie Goldman. Nichols was quite the find in the fifth ground last year, and will have his chance to be a true difference-maker this year.