The Chicago Bears' 2026 NFL draft was viewed as mixed, with some highlight picks and some questionable decisions.
This is exemplified by the recent ESPN article Matt Miller wrote, highlighting the top 100 picks.Â
Miller ranked every pick based on what he thought was some of the best value on the board. For the Bears, he had Dillon Thieneman, Malik Muhammad, and Keyshaun Elliott crack his top 100 favorite picks.Â
The Chicago Bears received high praise for three draft picks
Dillon Thieneman, No.11
This is a universally loved pick. Most saw him as a top 20 lock, so taking him at 25th overall is a win. The Bears have a massive need at safety, so a perfect fit only adds to the value of the pick.Â
Malik Muhammad, No. 46
Their fourth-round pick is getting a lot of praise as well. There were discussions that Muhammad would get drafted in the second round, so falling as far as he did is a great value pick. The plan seems to be letting Muhammad sit for a year, then stepping in and starting when Tyrique Stevenson leaves free agency. That is a smart way to invest in the fourth round.Â
Keyshaun Elliott, No. 81
This is another pick where Miller is praising the team for taking a player who was highly ranked on his board but fell a round or so short of his projection. Elliott is a good fit, but the question is whether he can see the field.
At the very least, he will start behind Devin Bush, T.J. Edwards, and D’Marco Jackson, and he may still be behind Noah Sewell and Jack Sanborn. It makes this room even deeper and more talented, but it does speak to the reality that this is a Best Player Available pick, not a need.
Missing names
The other notable point is that the Bears appear to have hit on their first-round pick and did well in the late rounds. Meanwhile, they struggled in the middle rounds.
Read more: Dillon Thieneman was included on list that Bears fans would place him first
Logan Jones, Sam Roush, and Zavion Thomas were not praised in the same light. This appears to be a theme under Poles, who have hit on a few late-round gems and have not missed on many high picks. However, his track record on day two is much more up-and-down. Did he fall into the same pattern this year?
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