The Chicago Bears open the 2024 regular season against the Tennessee Titans on Sept. 8 at Soldier Field.

After 43 snaps in two preseason games, the Bears front office and coaching staff decided they had seen enough from quarterback Caleb Williams. The No. 1 overall pick demonstrated daily growth in just over a month of training camp practices and an ability to raise the bar offensively in Chicago.

“His willingness to learn is second to none,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “He just wants to grab the information, learn and get better. When he does have adversity, he rises to the challenge and that’s what you want from your quarterback.”

Though Williams is the headliner in Chicago, the influx of talent brought in within the past 18 months has created more competition in training camp than this team has had the past two offseasons. The Bears used their fourth preseason game, against Kansas City, to address the back end of the roster and decide on the depth pieces that will earn the final few spots.

The roster will be cut to 53 players by 4 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Here is a projection for the Bears.

QUARTERBACKS (2): Caleb Williams, Tyson Bagent

Williams’ last drive of the preseason against Cincinnati showed his capabilities while operating in and out of structure. Bagent also put together his best outing of the preseason against the Bengals and is firmly the backup to the No. 1 overall pick. Third-string quarterback Brett Rypien threw three touchdowns in the Hall of Fame game, and the biggest decision the Bears face at QB is whether they’ll keep Rypien and UDFA Austin Reed on the practice squad.

RUNNING BACKS (4): D’Andre Swift, Khalil Herbert, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer

Herbert has gotten a lot of run in the preseason before entering a contract year, and injuries elsewhere at running back affirm his spot on the roster as RB2. Johnson has missed some time but should be ready by the start of the regular season. While the Velus Jones Jr. wide receiver-to-running back experiment showed promise in moments, it’s hard to envision him making a full move to tailback.

FULLBACKS (1): Khari Blasingame

The Seahawks didn’t utilize a fullback during Shane Waldron’s three seasons as Seattle’s offensive coordinator, but keeping a player of Blasingame’s caliber — who can block, line up in the backfield or slot and play a lot of snaps on special teams — on the roster fills a lot of needs.

WIDE RECEIVERS (6): DJ Moore, Keenan Allen, Rome Odunze, Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr., DeAndre Carter

Injuries hindered competition for the final spot at receiver. Collin Johnson exploded in the Hall of Fame game but has been sidelined since. DeAndre Carter, a seven-year vet, showed promise as a returner and should be brought back on the practice squad. Pettis, who turned in a two-touchdown day against Cincinnati, missed the final preseason game with injury. Carter, a seven-year vet, gets the last spot at receiver and could be the Bears starting punt returner Week 1.

TIGHT ENDS (3): Cole Kmet, Gerald Everett, Marcedes Lewis

If there’s one thing training camp demonstrated, it’s that Waldron’s offense will regularly utilize its “move” tight end. That’s why the Bears brought in Everett to pair with Kmet. With Lewis, who is back for a 19th season, grabbing the final spot, Brenden Bates and Stephen Carlson head to the practice squad.

OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (9): Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins, Coleman Shelton, Nate Davis, Darnell Wright, Ryan Bates, Kiran Amegadjie, Matt Pryor, Bill Murray

The center competition was halted before the Buffalo game when Bates sustained an injury that has kept him sidelined ever since. If the season started today, that job goes to Shelton, who has been taking all the first-team center reps for more than two weeks. There was some question entering training camp as to whether the Bears would hang on to Borom, who will make more than $3 million in the final year of his rookie contract as a backup, but an unfortunate leg injury in the preseason finale that led to him being carted off the field means he could earn an injury settlement and be waived. Amegadjie was activated off NFI at the end of training camp and could work his way into being the team’s swing tackle if he can get up to speed quickly.

DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (8): Montez Sweat, Gervon Dexter Sr., Andrew Billings, DeMarcus Walker, Zacch Pickens, Austin Booker, Daniel Hardy, Dominique Robinson

Booker put together one of the better training camp performances by any non-starter, highlighted by his 2.5-sack outing in Buffalo. The fifth-rounder is “light years ahead of where a rookie should be,” according to Sweat, and has earned his spot in the pass rush rotation. Still, the Bears have been trying to upgrade their pass rush and were willing to give up a third-round pick for Patriots outside linebacker Matthew Judon, who was traded to Atlanta. If Chicago doesn’t add a player it sees as the starting defensive end opposite Sweat, keep an eye on a move at the trade deadline.

LINEBACKERS (6): Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Amen Ogbongbemiga, Micah Baskerville, Noah Sewell

Sewell missed most of training camp with injury and didn’t do much in his sole outing against Kansas City, but his draft status as a former fourth-round pick and Matt Eberflus’ appetite for linebacker depth saves him a spot on the 53. Ogbongbemiga is a core special-teamer. Baskerville makes the roster after a strong preseason, which featured a pick-six in practice and in the Buffalo game.

CORNERBACKS (7): Jaylon Johnson, Tyrique Stevenson, Kyler Gordon, Terell Smith, Jaylon Jones, Greg Stroman Jr., Josh Blackwell

This is the most depth the Bears have fielded at cornerback since Eberflus was hired in 2022. Stroman and Blackwell split Gordon’s reps while the nickel corner was out for nearly three weeks of camp. When Gordon returned against the Bengals, he immediately made up for lost time with a sack and two tackles for loss.

SAFETIES (4): Kevin Byard III, Jaquan Brisker, Jonathan Owens, Elijah Hicks

An injury to Brisker allowed for Hicks (who entered camp on the bubble) and Owens to solidify the back end of the defense. Colbert gets the edge over veteran Tarvarius Moore after several strong practices in the back half of camp. Adrian Colbert had a good preseason but heads to the practice squad.

SPECIALISTS (3): Cairo Santos, Tory Taylor, Patrick Scales

The Bears signed Cameron Lyons while Scales has dealt with a soft tissue injury, but Eberflus believes the long-snapper is “on track” for the start of the season. Taylor is averaging nearly 50 yards per punt and is every bit the weapon the Bears believed he would be when they drafted him in the fourth round.