The Chicago Bears entered the offseason thinking that they were a strong offseason away from making a run for the Super Bowl. They have the head coach and quarterback figured out; they have some young pieces, but there were enough moving parts to get right.Â
While there are still some questions about their roster, one ESPN analyst sees them as the team making a run for the Super Bowl. That is Matt Miller, who was asked to predict one thing about the draft class that we will look back on in five years. His answer was that this group would help them make the Super Bowl run.
"The 2026 class will be the one that puts the Bears over the top and into a Super Bowl. Quarterback Caleb Williams is the main reason for the Bears' success, but adding safety Dillon Thieneman and cornerback Malik Muhammad satisfies huge needs in the secondary, while center Logan Jones will be Williams' new best friend and bodyguard."Matt Miller
Matt Miller with a bold prediction about the Bears
If the Bears hit on Thieneman, it could easily be remembered that way. A lot of people saw him as one of the better prospects in the draft, and we could look back at him in the All-Pro and think how did he fall to pick 25? If they landed that type of player, plus a center in Logan Jones, it would be a good class.
However, after that, it does get questionable. Miller did not even mention Sam Roush and Zavion Thomas as the players who would put the team over the top. Those were their most notable day 2 picks, but he skipped over them to also mention Malik Muhammad.Â
On one hand, Muhammad could come in and start making that type of difference. If he were better than Tyrique Stevenson or could make the tough decision on Jaylon Johnson easier, it would be valuable. Still, he did get selected after Roush and Thomas, two players who are not discussed as impact options and great picks.Â
Still, if either of those two is to hit, this roster becomes even better. Being able to throw out three legitimate tight ends may end up being an underrated asset on the Bears' roster. Beyond that, if Ben Johnson has a specific plan for using Thomas and can get the most out of him, it would make up for much of the value that is arguably being lost in the Bears' pursuit of him.
Read more: Bears fans won't argue too much about Mel Kiper Jr.'s team grade for draft
Beyond that, most classes only end up with about three hits. If Thieneman, Jones, and Muhammad live up to or beat their expectations, they could have the rest of the pieces in place to win a Super Bowl. It is either that or fans point to the draft, where they did not take a pass rusher again, as the reason they did not win the Super Bowl.
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