Breaking Down the Chicago Bears' Roster After the 2015 NFL Draft

Head coach John Fox has to be pleased with the way the 2015 NFL draft unfolded for the Chicago Bears. Fox and general manager Ryan Pace got a ton of value with each of their six picks.

It's now time for Fox and his coaching staff to acclimate the rookies to the rest of the team. Kevin White, Eddie Goldman and Hroniss Grasu have a good chance to be starters right away, but what about the other three picks?

As we break down the Bears roster after the draft, we will discuss the depth at each position, who might be cut and the chance for a rookie to start at free safety.

There were no free-agent acquisitions or quarterbacks drafted, so the Bears look like they will enter 2015 with the same group of signal-callers they had last season. 

Jay Cutler is likely on his final chance to prove to the Bears, and the entire NFL, that he can be a reliable starting quarterback. He led the league in interceptions last season (18) for the second time since joining Chicago in 2009. 

Offensive coordinator Adam Gase now has the task of getting the most out of Cutler. Expect him to try to get the ball out of Cutler's hands quickly and use a variety of short passes to get him in rhythm. 

If Cutler can't even be average, the Bears will have no hesitation turning to backup Jimmy Clausen. The five-year veteran isn't anybody's long-term answer at quarterback, but he could be the lesser of two evils if Cutler begins to fail miserably. 

David Fales just doesn't have the arm strength or overall talent to even compete for a backup role in Chicago. He's going to have an uphill climb making the team as a third quarterback. This could realistically be the last season you see any of these three quarterbacks in Chicago.

Matt Forte has to have a big season in Chicago. He needs to prove to management and the coaching staff that he's not on the decline and can still play at a high level. 

If Forte has a Pro Bowl-caliber year, then there's a good chance he will get one more multiyear deal from Chicago and retire as a Bear. If not, then we could be seeing the end of an era. Forte is entering his eighth season and will turn 30 in December.

Waiting to pick up the slack from Forte is Ka'Deem Carey and rookie Jeremy Langford. Carey was unimpressive in limited duty last year, and Langford has to prove that he's more than a third-down back who can break tackles in the NFL.

Head coach John Fox has a history of going with a running back by committee, so Carey and Langford could be the future. They will get every chance to prove their worth as the Bears will likely look to cut down on Forte's touches.

Jacquizz Rodgers and Senorise Perry will have to battle it out for the final roster spot. Both players will likely get very limited playing time even if they make the team.

Brandon Marshall is now in New York, which means Alshon Jeffery has to step up and be the team's unquestioned No. 1 receiver. 

Jeffery is entering the final year of his rookie deal, so he's in a good spot to prove that he's an elite receiver. If he has a big year then, the Bears will have no problem paying him big bucks. 

Help is on the way for Jeffery in the form of first-round pick Kevin White. The West Virginia wideout has all the talent to be one of the league's premier young stars. However, he needs to work on his route running and gain more confidence to reach his full potential. 

Eddie Royal is a nice addition in the slot. He will serve as a safety blanket for Jay Cutler underneath, but can also blow the top off a defense. 

Marquess Wilson is entering an important year. He needs to stay healthy and continue to develop into a worthy third or fourth receiver, as he could be bumped off the roster in favor of someone who gives the team more on special teams. Marc Mariani and Josh Bellamy are two guys looking to battle for that final spot.

Martellus Bennett is still with the Bears despite trade rumors circulating before the draft. He comes into the season as one of the league's better tight ends. 

Things get rough behind Bennett. Zach Miller can give the Bears something as a receiver if he proves he can return from injury, but Dante Rosario is no better than an average-at-best blocker. 

Bear Pascoe might be able to beat Rosario out for the final tight end spot, but the Bears have serious depth issues after Bennett. They should look for an upgrade if a better veteran hits the market.

When you go across the Bears offensive line, they are set up pretty well outside of right tackle. 

Kyle Long is arguably the best player on the team and one of the NFL's best guards. Jermon Bushrod is still a solid tackle, and Matt Slauson is steady when he's healthy. 

It's going to be interesting to see if rookie Hroniss Grasu can beat out veteran Will Montgomery for the starting center spot. Grasu is the future, but Montgomery might get the slight edge due to his familiarity with John Fox and Adam Gase from their Denver days. 

Jordan Mills is slated to be the starting right tackle. He struggled to stay healthy last year and wasn't very good when he was on the field. Rookie Tayo Fabuluje is far from being a starting right tackle in the NFL right now, so he's no real competition to beat Mills out. 

Charles Leno, Jason Weaver and Vladimir Ducasse are decent backups, but nothing more. It will be interesting to see if the Bears address the right tackle spot once again before the season starts.

We are all going to see the transition from a 4-3 scheme to a 3-4 style. This means the front three linemen will be bigger and need to get nastier. 

Former San Francisco 49ers defensive end Ray McDonald brings talent and experience to the team. McDonald had 19.5 career sacks in eight seasons in San Francisco.

It's going to be interesting and fun to see how the rest of the pieces fall into place. Jay Ratliff, Ego Ferguson, Lamarr Houston, Will Sutton and Eddie Goldman will all see time in a rotation at all three positions.

Houston will also get some snaps at outside linebacker, which factors into the depth there.

The Bears have been in the bottom third of the league in run defense each of the past two years. Rookie Eddie Goldman will immediately help shore up the middle, while McDonald and Houston have had success in the past setting the edge.

Last year's second-round pick Ego Ferguson should see a big bump in playing time and productivity. His size and playing style fit this scheme much better. Will Sutton, on the other hand, looks a little too small and could be the odd man out.

There's a serious glut of linebackers on the roster, but are there four guys capable of playing consistent defense? 

Former Baltimore Ravens super-sub Pernell McPhee is the Bears' prized free-agent acquisition and the team's best pass-rusher. He had 7.5 sacks in a reserve role last year, and McPhee needs to consistently be over 10 sacks a year to warrant the contract he was given. 

Jared Allen is out to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks, as he will rush the quarterback standing up despite never doing so before. Allen balked at the Minnesota Vikings when they considered the move back in 2011. 

As mentioned in the last slide, Lamarr Houston will see some time at outside linebacker. He moved all around the front seven in Oakland and has experience playing the position. 

Sam Acho figures to be a super-sub who can play inside or outside. He's with the Bears on a one-year deal and could really be a pleasant surprise in 2015. 

Willie Young is coming off a torn Achilles and has never played outside linebacker. He needs to prove that he's still explosive following the injury and that he can get to the quarterback without having his hand in the dirt. 

Shea McClellin is likely on his last leg with the Bears. He needs to come out poised and aggressive in training camp if he wants to even make this team. At this moment, McClellin isn't better than fellow backups Christian Jones and David Bass.

Add Khaseem Greene to the same group as McClellin. He faces an uphill battle as well, as he's never been able to be a solid contributor, even on special teams.

Cornelius Washington, Austen Lane, Jonathan Brown and Jamil Merrell need to have superhuman performances in training camp to make the team.  

Mason Foster and Jon Bostic are the starting inside linebackers. These two figure to be flying all over the field making plays and shutting down the running game. It's important for them to maintain gap discipline, though, because being out of position in this scheme can be absolutely devastating to the whole unit.  

Last year's first-round draft pick Kyle Fuller will look to take a big step in his second season. He needs more help from his teammates in the secondary and from new defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. 

Help does come in reinforcements at safety. Antrel Rolle is a solid veteran who plays hard in the box and can make some picks if you test him. He had nine interceptions over the past two seasons with the New York Giants. 

Along with Rolle is the addition of fifth-round pick Adrian Amos. He's a rangy free safety who instantly becomes the best single-high coverage man on the roster. Brock Vereen and Ryan Mundy are both relegated to backup roles in this defense.

Tim Jennings needs to get back to his old form. He struggled last season, failing to register even one interception despite having 13 combined picks in the two prior seasons.

Alan Ball brings some size to the corner position, Sherrick McManis is a special teams rock star, Demontre Hurst has to prove he's a reliable nickelback and Al Jean-Louis still has room for development. 

Cornerback Terrance Mitchell will have a hard time making the roster.

Special teams was once a team strength under former special teams coordinator Dave Toub, but the unit really faltered under Joe DeCamillis.

Robbie Gould is one player who really suffered from a poor special teams unit and bad offense. He attempted a career-low 12 field goals last year. However, Gould did miss four games due to injury. 

Punter Pat O'Donnell needs to be the defense's best friend. He's got a booming leg, but has to be more consistent in his hang time and punts inside the 20. 

It was a nice under-the-radar move grabbing former Kansas City Chiefs long snapper Thomas Gafford. He's a solid veteran who will bring stability and leadership to the special teams unit. 

Wide receiver Marc Mariani should get every chance to win the kick and punt return jobs. He did a solid job coming on late last season, and could get back to his Pro Bowl form with a full training camp under his belt.