The Athletic's Mike Sando asked NFL execs about the NFC's 2026 Draft Class. Here is what some NFL higher-ups had to say about the Chicago Bears' rookies.
Time is the best way to properly evaluate a team's draft.
However, in the NFL, time usually isn't on the side of general managers, coaches, players and fanbases, who want nothing more than to see their beloved team succeed sooner rather than later.
Although it's impossible to determine what the Chicago Bears' 2026 Draft Class will become right now, it's interesting to hear what NFL execs had to say about general manager Ryan Poles' latest haul of rookies.
The Athletic's Mike Sando spoke with NFL execs about the NFC's 2026 Draft Classes, and here are some takeaways from the seven newest players added to coach Ben Johnson's roster.
One of the surprises from the Bears' draft was the team not selecting an edge rusher. The Bears didn't sign one in free agency, either. The Bears finally added to the defensive line position with their final pick in the sixth round by selecting Georgia Tech interior defensive lineman Jordan van den Berg.
"Maybe they should have traded up?" one exec told the Athletic.
Before the Bears selected Iowa center Logan Jones with the 57th overall pick, nine defensive linemen were drafted, and the New England Patriots moved up in the draft to select Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas two picks before the Bears were set to pick in the second round.
If the Bears really wanted to address the edge rusher position, the team could have done that with the 25th overall pick, but the team followed their big board and selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
The Bears lost both starting safeties from a season ago in free agency, so the Bears signed Coby Bryant, who had just won a Super Bowl with the Seahawks, and used their top draft capital by selecting Thieneman -- a pick that resonated with one NFL exec.
“The safety is going to be a good player,” an exec told the Athletic. “We were high on him. He is ball savvy, has some versatility from a blitz and coverage standpoint.”
NFL execs also took note of the Bears selecting Jones, the first true center in the draft. Shortly after Drew Dalman announced he was retiring, the Bears traded with the New England Patriots for Garrett Bradbury.
One NFL exec had this to say about Jones and Bradbury: "They the same guy: both undersized, tough technicians."
Sando also posed two questions about the Bears' center position. Would the Bears consider trading Bradbury to a center-needy team like the Baltimore Ravens? Or will this be a redshirt season for Jones?
The latter seems more likely, in my opinion, but you never know.
Stanford tight end Sam Roush also received some praise, especially since he is joining an offense that isn't shy to use the position.
“Chicago was really good in the run game this past year, and to get Roush to play tight end, damn, they are going to be able to run some strong-side runs,” a third NFL exec told the Athletic. “This guy can block all the defensive ends.”