Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson completed their second NFL Draft, and this latest one highlights the importance of building for the future to reshape the Bears' roster beyond 2026.
The Chicago Bears' 2026 Draft Class is officially in the books.
General manager Ryan Poles and coach Ben Johnson went into the draft with seven picks and came out of the three-day draft with seven players, although there were some trades that the Bears executed to make that happen.
Here is the Bears' 2026 Draft Class:
- Round 1 (No. 25): Dillon Thieneman, S, Oregon
- Round 2 (No. 57): Logan Jones, C, Iowa
- Round 3 (No. 69): Sam Roush, TE, Stanford
- Round 3 (No. 89): Zavion Thomas, WR, LSU
- Round 4 (No. 124): Malik Muhammad, CB, Texas
- Round 5 (No. 166): Keyshaun Elliott, LB, Arizona State
- Round 6 (No. 213): Jordan van den Berg, DT, Georgia Tech
One of the biggest takeaways from this Bears' latest draft class is the emphasis the organization put on selecting players who will become full-time contributors later on rather than this upcoming season.
The one exception is of course, Thieneman.
The newest member of the secondary will provide defensive coordinator Dennis Allen with a versatile player who should compliment Coby Bryant. Although there are other safeties on the roster, the Oregon first-round draft pick will be a Day 1 starter.
As for the rest of the class, that's not a guarantee.
Center Garrett Bradbury is going into his eighth NFL season and will be the starter. Is there a slim chance that Jones may see the field, sure. Injuries happen, but expect Bradbury to play, especially since he will be provide Caleb Williams with the most help when it comes to pre-snap responsibilities.
But Bradbury is on a one-year deal, opening up the potential for Jones to take over as the starting center the following season.
"Obviously, Logan was at the top of the list for us," Johnson said. "And so, we felt convicted as a staff, coaching staff and personnel side, that he was our guy. The mental is top notch. We saw all the traits that we're looking for, whether it's the run game or in pass-pro, and we brought him in for a top 30, and I think that's when it really solidified it for us that ‘yeah, he's got the makeup.’ The guys at Iowa were raving about him, and then just the next level in terms of the football IQ as well. So, I think none of us have any qualms that he'll be able to download the information and, once again, it's just another spot that we'll have high level competition at.”
Roush will see the field, but his playing time will be limited. The Bears have one of the best tight end rooms in the league with Cole Kmet and Colston Loveland, so those two will be a huge part of the offense this upcoming season. The Bears utilized 12 and 13 personnel sets at a top-5 rate last season, so Roush will get some play.
But after the 2027 season, Kmet's contract is up. And there could be a possibility 2026 could be the end for the veteran tight end in Chicago, especially since Kmet has no guaranteed salary in the last year of his contract. If Roush makes the most of his opportunities and instills confidence in the coaching staff, it will likely be the Loveland and Roush show moving forward.
From what Poles said at the conclusion of the draft, it doesn't sound like Thomas will have much of a role on offense, but the return game presents opportunity, potentially.
“So this is a tough system, so it’s going to be a challenge for him to break through with (WR) Kalif (Raymond)," Poles said. "But again, we're going to open that competition up, for all of these guys coming in. I think you feel really good about the return, and the ability that he has and then he'll be in with the rest of the guys to learn the offense. And how does he do that? How fast does that come along? You all have talked to our receivers. It's a challenging system. So maybe that role starts small and it grows over time, but I don't want to put a cap on it. If he comes in and downloads fast and is up and running, then we'll see what happens.”
Kalif Raymond is an experienced punt return, and that ability was highlighted plenty when Raymond singed in Chicago. Kick return is different, though. Raymond has only had nine kick returns since 2021. Thomas had 35 kick returns in his four-year college career, but had just one kick return attempt in 2025 after having 24 returns for 633 yards and one touchdown the previous season. Someone will take that role, and Thomas could be that answer.
The Bears drafted Muhammad in the fourth round, and he could compete at the corner spot opposite of Jaylon Johnson. Tyrique Stevenson is going into a contract year, and former fifth-round picks Zah Frazier and Terell Smith should return into the fold.
Last season proved that the Bears will start whoever provides them with the best chance to win. Nahshon Wright took the starting job and didn't give it back. Any of the corners could be that next one in line.
Devin Bush has one linebacker spot solidified, but there are two positions that are up for grabs. Once T.J. Edwards returns to full strength, he should start alongside Bush, but until that happens, DeMarco Jackson will likely play in that spot. But Noah Sewell's torn Achilles presents opportunities for Jack Sanborn or Elliott for the third linebacker role.
Van den Berg will provide depth on the defensive line. The Bears added three new players in free agency to go along with Grady Jarrett and Gervon Dexter Sr.
The Bears didn't go into the 2026 NFL Draft to fill current holes on the roster. They went into it looking to select players who would provide long-term answers for a team looking to sustain long-term success.
“I think (Assistant General Manager) Jeff King hit it a couple days ago, and that's really that we're looking for high level competitors," Johnson said. "Guys that if you took football away from, they really don't know what to do with themselves. It's a huge part. They eat it, they sleep it, they breathe it. And I think we're able to identify those types of guys. When you have guys like that, they usually find a way to come out on top.”
While there are still holes that remain on this Bears roster, the 2026 Draft Class successfully checked other boxes, providing necessary depth and future starters for a team firmly in 'win-now' mode.