Latest Bears mock draft would guarantee Kevin Byard or Jaquan Brisker are out

This Chicago Bears offseason is going to be all about fixing their defense and getting the right pieces in place.

Chicago ranked in the bottom five in total defense after recording only 35 sacks in 17 games, and its secondary dealt with numerous injuries to starters. The Bears have a chance this offseason to rebuild the defense, particularly at edge rusher and safety, with Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker set to be free agents.

FOX Sports NFL Draft analyst Rob Rang shared his latest mock draft, with the Bears surprisingly not looking at edge rusher. Instead, Rang has Chicago selecting Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman.

"The defensive backs are a relative strength of this year’s rookie class, and I expect Chicago to be among the teams to take full advantage of that fact. After all, the Bears finished 29th in the NFL with 31 passing touchdowns allowed. And with eight defensive backs on the roster set to hit free agency — including starting safeties Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker — GM Ryan Poles has a chance to reset the Chicago secondary. Thieneman is a personal favorite. He’s instinctive, versatile and a natural playmaker with 10 turnovers forced over three years at Oregon and Purdue."

Bears select Dillon Thieneman in the latest mock draft

Talk about a dream defensive player for Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen. Imagine the possibilities with Thieneman: he could line up in the box as a linebacker or get back into coverage to force incompletions and turnovers.

While some Bears fans would wish for a pass rusher, there are options in free agency or the trade market to make that happen. It might require them to lose a first-round pick, but it doesn't have to be just Trey Hendrickson or Maxx Crosby; the Bears need to get.

This pass defense ranked 22nd in the NFL last season, allowing 227.2 yards per game. While a pass rusher would help, the secondary has to get younger and healthier, as Byard is over 30 and Brisker missed 12 games in 2024.

Thieneman's potential makes the Bears' defense a lot more fun to imagine being so good in 2026.