The Chicago Bears have some holes to fill on their defense, but general manager Ryan Poles must remain poised and avoid trading up to fill a position of need.
The Chicago Bears' defense has more positions that need addressing than the offense. General manager Ryan Poles knows that, and so does the rest of the Bears' organization.
This 2026 NFL Draft class has some prospects that can easily become Day 1 contributors for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. With needs at edge rusher, defensive tackle and safety to name a few, the Bears must trust their big board to navigate each selection and round in the upcoming draft.
As most NFL drafts go, expect the unexpected. It's what makes the three-day of calling names so entertaining.
NFL draft analyst Todd McShay released his 4.0 mock draft, and he has the Bears making one of those unexpected moves. McShay has the Bears trading the No. 25 overall pick and their fourth-round pick (No. 129) to the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for pick 22 and selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.
Here is what McShay wrote about the move and selection.
"Last season, the Bears allowed 61 completions of 20-plus yards (second most in the NFL) and 13 passing touchdowns of 20-plus yards (tied for the most), and four of their top five defensive backs in snaps—Jaquan Brisker, Kevin Byard, Nahshon Wright, and C.J. Gardner-Johnson—are now gone. Thieneman brings the range and coverage ability to help clean up those numbers and fill a positional need immediately. He’s both the best player available on my board and the type of rangy, coverage-oriented safety that DC Dennis Allen wants."
As much as Thieneman would help out the Bears' defense and fill a position of need with a versatile playmaker in the secondary, Poles can't trade up to select a safety.
This is not about Thieneman, who would fit in Allen's defense, but more so about trading capital in this draft to move up three spots.
Some people may argue that it's just a fourth-round pick, but the Bears traded a 2026 fourth-round pick to acquire All-Pro guard Joe Thuney last season. He played 99.6% of the offensive snaps and won the first-ever Proctor of the Year award on his way to another All-Pro, Pro Bowl season in Year 10.
Former Bears center Drew Dalman was selected 115th overall in the fourth round of the 2021 NFL draft. Under head coach Ben Johnson, Dalman made his first Pro Bowl and didn't miss a single offensive snap all season.
High-level starters can be acquired and drafted with fourth-round picks.
If the Bears traded away their fourth-round pick, that could prevent the team from selecting their long-term center. Veteran Garrett Bradbury will serve as the staring center this season for Caleb Williams, but the offensive lineman has one year remaining on his contract.
The 2026 Draft class has several options that could be available early on Day 3 of the draft. Iowa's Logan Jones, Kansas State's Sam Hecht, Florida's Jake Slaughter and Auburn's Connor Lew could all be in that range for the Bears to potentially select.
But if the Bears moved up to select Thieneman, then they have one less pick to address defensive tackle, edge, center, offensive tackle and cornerback. Those are some important positions that should require higher draft capital.
This 2026 Draft class also has some versatile defensive backs that would fit Allen's defense. South Carolina's Jalon Kilgore, Miami's Keonte Scott and Arizona's Treydan Stukes will likely go on Day 2 of the draft, and in McShay's mock, Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren wasn't selected until pick 31.
After the Chargers made their selection at pick 25, three linemen were selected: Auburn EDGE Keldric Faulk (No. 26), Utah OT Caleb Lomu and Arizona State OT Max Iheanachor.
Those three players could have been realistic options for the Bears with their original first-round pick.
Moving up for a safety before adding premium talent on the defensive line feels like a reach, but that would depend on whatever the Bears' big board is telling the team when they are on the clock.