Linebacker (5)
53-Man Roster Locks:
Nick Bolton
Willie Gay Jr.
Drue Tranquill
Leo Chenal
Jack Cochrane
Practice Squad Candidates:
Cam Jones
Cole Christiansen
Missing the Cut:
Olakunie Fatukasi
I came into the offseason thinking that the battle for the final linebacker spot was wide open, but I believe Jack Cochrane has slammed the door shut on this one. Yes, Cole Christiansen has put up nice tackle numbers, but Cochrane has looked very good on defense in the preseason (he sees the ball well and flows through traffic to get there) as well as being a core special teams contributor last season.
The top four spots are the ones that will play most of the actual linebacker snaps and their spots have never been in doubt.
Finally, let's look at the defensive backs and the final two roster spots that are up for grabs.