It was a fascinating three days for the Chicago Bears as they concluded their 2026 NFL Draft with some interesting picks.
Bears general manager Ryan Poles showed that they were going to get a mixed bag of offensive and defensive players in the draft. For Chicago, this draft was all about finding the best players available, regardless of position.
The Bears made a total of seven selections in the draft, with four on defense and three on offense, so how did they do overall? Here's a look at every pick from the draft and what grade they got.
Grading every Bears pick from 2026 NFL Draft
Round 1, Pick 25: Dillon Thieneman, Safety (Oregon)
The Bears were gifted Thieneman, who dropped to them after a massive run on offensive tackles essentially took that position away. This worked out perfectly, as they get a guy who will start alongside Coby Bryant and really improve that secondary, putting them in a solid place for at least the next three years. Thieneman is a playmaker who made that defense so much better than going into draft weekend.
Grade: A
Round 2, Pick 57: Logan Jones, C (Iowa)
Jones is arguably the best center in the draft and has all the abilities to be a Pro Bowl-caliber center in this league. With questions about Garrett Bradbury as the long-term solution at center, Jones instantly helps solidify the future of the line. This was a great selection for the Bears, but it might have been one that could have been made in the third round, so that's the only note to give on the selection.
Grade: B+
Round 3, Pick 69: Sam Roush, TE (Stanford)
This is where things take an interesting turn, because Roush is not necessarily a bad player and could very well be the Bears' future backup tight end. The selection is questionable because tight end isn't a problem, and they had options at edge rusher and defensive tackle to cover those positions. Roush will help the running game with his blocking abilities, but this felt like an unnecessary pick here.
Grade: C+
Round 3, Pick 89: Zavion Thomas, WR (LSU)
Here is another pick that might be questionable, but at least it's at a position of need. Unfortunately, Thomas was projected to be much later on Day 3 and was solely selected because of his speed. This is a massive reach, and while Thomas looks solid on tape, there were better options in the third round.
Grade: C-
Round 4, Pick 124: Malik Muhammad, CB (Texas)
Day 3 got off to a solid start with the Bears getting a cornerback who might actually challenge Tyrique Stevenson for the starting CB2 job. Muhammad may not have the size at the position, but he is good in coverage and will make plays on the ball in the air. This one feels like a good pick for the Bears and got good value for a guy who was viewed as a Day 2 pick.
Grade: B
Round 5, Pick 166: Keyshaun Elliott, LB (Arizona State)
Linebacker wasn't a massive need, but Elliott is an interesting prospect to pick here. He helps bring depth to the position, but there's a chance he could add another 20 pounds or so and all of a sudden become an edge rusher. Regardless, he's a solid tackler and could play a nice role on the special teams early on.
Grade: B-
Round 6, Pick 213: Jordan van den Berg, DT (Georgia Tech)
The Bears finally get some size on the defensive line and get a good player here with Berg. Chicago has a special talent here after having 11 tackles for loss last year, showing that he can stop the run with ease. For a sixth-round pick, this is good value for the Bears that needed defensive tackle.
Grade: B+
Read more: Bears Undrafted Free Agent Tracker: Live analysis for every 2026 UDFA signing
Overall Draft Class
Chicago did not address all the positions they needed to, and oddly, was heavier on offense early on. There are going to be some questions about the selections they made throughout, but their Day 3 picks were pretty solid value picks. The Bears got faster and more athletic with this class, and fans will be interested to see if they can have the same impact as the 2025 class.
Grade: B-
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