The Chicago Bears have been on a roll since the end of the 2023 season, and it has continued into the 2024 offseason, throughout training camp and the first three games of the preseason.
The Bears had the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft, and they used it to select quarterback Caleb Williams. Ever since general manager Ryan Poles made the selection and NFL commissioner Roger Goodell called out his name, Williams has been on the path to starting for the Bears and on the road to potential stardom.
When preseason predictions first started trickling in, it appeared that the Bears were the selection to either battle the Minnesota Vikings for third place or to take that spot by themselves. The division appeared to belong to the Detroit Lions and the Green Bay Packers.
The Bears have looked quite good in the preseason, and it appears that Williams is developing into a quarterback who will hit the ground running when the season kicks off in Week 1 against the Tennessee Titans.
As a result, the Bears could become a playoff team and perhaps one that challenges for the division title.
There appear to be several stars at the wide receiver position, including D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen and rookie Rome Odunze. Their starting positions appear to be quite secure. However, there are a couple of starters who may find that their first-team positions are in jeopardy.
Two of those players include right guard Nate Davis and defensive end DeMarcus Walker
Davis could be under the gun to maintain starting position on the offensive line
There haven’t been many Bears players who are listed as starters that have been unimpressive during the summer. Head coach Matt Eberflus has been impressed with most of his players, but the offensive line is going to have to improve if the Bears are going to fulfill the high hopes that many of their fans and several observers have.
The offensive line is a group that is only as strong as its weakest link. That could be Nate Davis, who is been under quite a bit of scrutiny throughout the summer. In the Bears 27-3 triumph over the Cincinnati Bengals in the team’s third preseason game, Davis was beaten on a spin move by Bengals rookie Kris Jenkins and that led to a sack of Williams.
Williams tried to take the blame for the sack by saying he held on to the ball that long, but it was not a good look for Davis. Bears fans who are looking for areas that the team needs to improve often point at Davis. Jenkins put on a decent move to get free, but it appeared that Davis lost his man and that was the cause of the sack.
If Davis does not pick up his performance, Eberflus, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and offensive line coach Chris Morgan could decide to look at Matt Pryor or Bill Murray for the right guard position.
Walker getting pushed for DE position by Austin Booker
Chicago Bears defensive lineman DeMarcus Walker (95) celebrates a defensive play against the Carolina Panthers during the second quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Bartel-USA TODAY Sports
DeMarcus Walker may not be a picture-perfect training camp performer. He was slowed by injuries last summer, which was his first in a Chicago uniform. However, he came on and had a solid season that included a career-best 22 quarterback pressures.
Walker finished the 2023 season with 30 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 16 quarterback hits and 3.5 quarterback sacks. That last category is the one the Bears want to see improve in 2024. Walker plays hard and is productive, but he does not put a lot of sacks on the board. In his six prior seasons with the Denver Broncos, Houston Texans and Tennessee Titans, Walker never had more than 7.0 sacks.
Undrafted rookie Austin Booker is right behind Walker on the Bears depth chart. The 6-4, 244-pound Booker appears to lack bulk, but the former Kansas defensive lineman has demonstrated speed, surprising strength, moves and relentlessness this summer.
Booker had 5 tackles and 2.5 sacks in the second preseason game the Bears had against the Buffalo Bills. He was one of the dominant players on the field in that 33-6 triumph.
If Booker can continue to upgrade his performance, he could make a serious push for Walker’s starting position.
