2026 NFL Draft Grades: Chicago Bears

Chicago was the only NFL team to not draft a defensive player in Round 1 between 2019 and 2025. It made five Day 1 selections over that span, and all of them played offense -- including two QB picks.

The good news? It eventually worked. The Bears were top 10 in offensive points per game (25.1), yards per play (5.7) and EPA (68.3) last season. The first-rounders cooked. Quarterback Caleb Williams broke out and showed some of the generational talent we saw when he was coming out of USC in 2024. Receiver Rome Odunze and tight end Colston Loveland were major players of the passing game, and right tackle Darnell Wright was steady in protection.

The bad news? The defense lagged behind a little, held up by an unsustainable penchant for creating turnovers (33, most in the NFL). Chicago managed just 35 sacks (tied for 22nd) without an edge-rush running mate for Montez Sweat, and opponents averaged 5.0 yards per run (29th). The Bears changed out Tremaine Edmunds for Devin Bush in free agency, and the secondary took a big hit with multiple starters heading elsewhere. Time for a first-round change, even if this Day 1 selection was much later than Chicago had become accustomed to picking.

Dillon Thieneman was a great get at No. 25. Coordinator Dennis Allen can move him all over the place -- deep safety, in the box, out wide, over the slot. He's an instinctive player who had a six-interception season in 2023 while still at Purdue (before transferring to Oregon), and he should help make up for some of the on-ball production lost in the free agency exodus in the secondary.

The rest of the class was slightly up and down. Logan Jones -- my top-ranked center -- looks like the perfect Drew Dalman replacement. Yes, the Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury, but I wanted to see Chicago make a long-term move there, and Jones is already essentially a seasoned pro with 51 career starts. At receiver, general manager Ryan Poles went down the board a little bit for Zavion Thomas; he was a clear Day 3 guy.

Potentially most important in all of this is Chicago not looking at edge rusher or defensive tackle until Jordan van den Berg at No. 213. Chicago needed someone opposite Sweat and didn't get it, and while I heard some Day 3 sleeper love for van den Berg, he's a depth guy.

Meh? They've been working their board for weeks, including exporting DJ Moore to Buffalo for a second-rounder. GM Ryan Poles maneuvered around further through the weekend. Yet it doesn't feel like the reigning NFC North champs came away with anyone aside from first-round S Dillon Thieneman who will make much of an impact in 2026. Second-round C Logan Jones is undersized (6-3, 299) but could get a redshirt year before he has to assume a starting role ... and it is generally hard to quibble with Iowa O-linemen.

Best Pick: It was their first one. Safety Dillon Thieneman will be a big-time player for their defense. Caleb Downs was the best safety in the class, but this kid was right there with him in my book.

Worst Pick: I didn't like the pick of tight end Sam Roush in the third. Why not take a pass rusher? I know they use 13 personnel a lot, but they had bigger needs.

The Skinny: I liked their first-round pick, but didn't love what they did with their next three. The offense was a priority in the draft, even if the defense was an issue last year. The defensive line was not addressed in the first six picks.

The NFL Draft is all about value, and few teams added more of that in the first round than Chicago, stealing a future Pro Bowl-caliber safety in Dillon Thieneman at No. 25 overall. Center Logan Jones wasn't perhaps quite as economical a selection at No. 57 overall, but I think he'll start as a rookie with the mentality and rugged playing style to project as a long-term anchor inside. Similarly, Stanford tight end Sam Roush isn't flashy, but I like his physicality (and underrated receiving skills) as a nice complement to last year's star rookie Colston Loveland.

Speaking of complements, don't be surprised if speedy wideout and returner Zavion Thomas winds up producing better numbers in Ben Johnson's wide-open attack than he did at the collegiate level. I also really like the value Chicago got on Day 3 with cornerback Malik Muhammad and linebacker Keyshawn Elliott. The former lacks ideal bulk, but he has legitimate cover talent and the latter has the physicality and closing speed to boost a Bears' linebacker corps needing an upgrade of both.

I only have two issues with this draft: I wish the Bears came out of it with a stout run defending presence and taking a player I viewed as a returner (a very good returner) in the top 100 feels rich.

Now let's get into the fun. I cannot wait to watch the safety duo of Dillon Thieneman and Coby Bryant. They will bring range, ball skills and overall playmaking to the back end of that unit.

Logan Jones was built to run block for Ben Johnson, bringing them a four-year starter and an above-average athlete at the center position. Sam Roush was the sixth tight end taken in this draft, and while he's buried on the depth chart at the moment, I'm willing to bet he ends up better than multiple guys taken ahead of him. He competes as a blocker and runs hard after the catch.

Malik Muhammad is an interesting day three pick because he has good movement skills and length. His route anticipation and play strength are still a work in progress, but I wouldn't be shocked to see him take over as a starter down the road.

Here's why: The positions the Bears addressed all made sense, even if none of the picks had me standing up and applauding. Dillon Thieneman now joins new free-agent signing Coby Bryant to form a talented backend duo that defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have a field day in using all over the place. Logan Jones is a classic undersized but quick center who is tough and athletic. He's a center-only player, so his lack of flexibility is a luxury this year until he takes over for Garrett Bradbury, but he is an excellent fit for a zone-heavy running scheme like the one that Ben Johnson likes to employ and can, finally, give the Bears a long-term center option. Zavion Thomas is a dynamic returner and big-play threat who can give Johnson his new version of a Kalif Raymond (who is on the Bears' roster, of course). Malik Muhammad has starter potential, with his feel for routes making him dangerous in Allen's trapping blitz looks. Jordan van den Berg is an athletic dart throw and Keyshaun Elliott is a smart, hardworking player with size who could end up starting in the middle — even with his lack of high-end coverage ability. This class grew on me a bit.

Most interesting pick: Sam Roush, TE, Stanford

Colston Loveland is a future star and Cole Kmet is still on the roster, but Johnson sought to add another tight end who can hold his own in-line and have some athletic chops to boot. Roush has good size (but short arms) and tested very well this spring. He's a willing blocker who can have trouble sustaining because of his lack of length, but being a valid enough blocker and athlete will keep formation and personnel options open for Johnson and the Bears to exploit. Not many teams can validly say that they have three tight ends who can block and aren't total stiffs when running routes.

I absolutely loved what the Bears did in the first round, grabbing a day-one contributor in the secondary in Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman (my 15th-ranked player overall), who can fill the void left by Jaquan Brisker's departure. Thieneman is a rangy, physical, and rugged defender who can line up deep, over the slot or in the box, and shows instincts in both coverage and against the run. GM Ryan Poles looked to address roster gaps on day two, grabbing a battle-tested lineman in Iowa's Logan Jones in the second round to fill the hole left by starting center Drew Dalman's abrupt retirement. In the third round, Chicago added a long-term successor to Cole Kmet in Stanford's Sam Roush before bringing in a speedy wideout in LSU's Zavion Thomas, who could help stretch the field on offense and contribute in the return game. But all three of the Bears' day-two picks were significant reaches per my board, so I don't love the value Chicago got with those selections, but the team did come back for a valuable pair in cornerback Malik Muhammad and linebacker Keyshaun Elliott on day three.

Analysis: Suddenly, the Bears have a versatile group of safeties and plenty of depth in the secondary. Thieneman will partner with free-agent addition Coby Bryant, who found his footing after moving from cornerback to safety in Seattle. If Chicago can find another quality cornerback, this could be one of the league's better secondaries in 2026. Perhaps Muhammad can fit that need, but he's going to need to work his way up the depth chart. On the downside, the Bears failed to add more talent on the defensive front. Montez Sweat is their lone reliable edge rusher, and he will turn 30 in September.