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Chicago Bears 2026 NFL Draft: CFN College Football Take on Every Pick
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- Chicago Bears 2026 NFL Draft: CFN College Football Take on Every Pick
Is this it? Is this the draft that gets Chicago
to that one extra level needed to be Super Bowl bound?
There were big needs to fill, but there's still more work to do through free agency to fill in the gaps.
This draft, though, checked a whole slew of boxes, but it's thin. There were only seven picks, and there wasn't a lot of stockpiling. Basically, there can't be any wasted motion with this haul.
Bears Draft Quick Hits
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Best Value: Malik Muhammad, CB Texas
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Biggest Need: Defensive Backs
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Missed: Pass Rushers
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Big Call: C Logan Jones will turn into a star
Apr 23, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Oregon Ducks defensive back Dillon Thieneman poses on the red carpet before the 2026 NFL Draft at Point State Park. © Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
What They Got Right
Defensive backs - they got two.
Safety was right up there with the biggest needs, and they didn't mess around taking Dillon Thieneman in the first. Getting corner Malik Muhammad late in the fourth was a coup.
- 2027 Top NFL Prospects
What They Missed
Where are the pass rushers?
They weren't the biggest need, but the Bears
needed everything to upgrade the defensive line, and they didn't really do anything for the tackles.
They didn't take anyone who could get into the backfield, even though they had chance after chance.
Best Value Pick
Malik Muhammad, CB TexasThe Bears didn't desperately need a corner, but they could use as many good defensive backs as they could get. Muhammad could've gone in the second round and no one would've blinked. He went in the fourth.
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Biggest Reach
Zavion Thomas, WR LSU
He's super fast, and he gives the Bears offense a guy who can take the top off a defense, but he's not a volume-catcher, and he might be a one-trick guy. It could be a good trick, though.
He was a late draft talent who went in the third when Michigan edge rusher Jaishawn Barham
was right there.
CFN Draft Grade
Grade: B-
It wasn't inspiring, and they didn't effectively do a thing for the defensive front, but Thieneman was the right pick in the first round, and Logan Jones is a strong center who should be an anchor.
If those two picks do what they're supposed to, it's a good. Just about everyone else was a bit of a reach.
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Bears Draft Class
Round 1, (25): Dillon Thieneman, S Oregon
Made this call months ago. Right fit, right piece, right time. Thieneman will fit in right away.
Round 2, (57): Logan Jones, C Iowa
A need pick at the right time, he's a rock-solid Iowa blocker with a ton of experience.
Round 3, (69): Sam Roush, TE Stanford
An interesting No. 2 TE call to be the blocker so Colston Loveland
can roam free.
Round 3, (89): Zavion Thomas, WR LSU
The Bears gave Caleb Williams
even more home run downfield deep speed to play with.
Round 4, (124): Malik Muhammad, CB Texas
Amazing value, the second round-caliber corner fell, and now he'll be a key piece right away.
Round 5, (166): Keyshaun Elliott, LB Arizona State
A really interesting idea in the fifth, he's not exciting, but he makes a ton of tackles.
Round 6, (213): Jordan Van den Berg, DT Georgia Tech
The Bears needed to do a lot more to address the defensive tackle concerns.
- 2027 Carolina Panthers Draft Analysis
This story was originally published by College Football News on Apr 27, 2026, where it first appeared in the NFL Draft section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
